This was the thanksgiving speech I gave at the end of my Ordination Mass on 16 June 2010:

I thank my parents, Eugene and Angela, the people who gave me life. I am amazed at how they never get tired of supporting my pursuit of God’s dreams for my life.

I thank Holy Mother Church, who, through the person of Bishop Paul Tan SJ, the Priests, Deacons, Religious and laity, has received and embraced me into the fullness of the faith of the Apostles and into the vocation which has been mine to fulfill.

I thank Emmy, who, in her vocation as my wife, has countless times said “yes” to the will of God. And to our little unborn child in the womb who is present at this ordination, may your life be characterised by many little “yesses” at the bidding of your Maker.

I thank Sheree, my sister, for always knowing my heart; also, for the gift of her beautiful family (Phow Loong, Christina and Christopher).

I thank all the Franciscans, religious and secular, for being my family and for allowing me the privilege of sharing with you the call to “Restore [Christ’s] Church”.

I thank my brothers and sisters of the Church of the Visitation (Seremban) for helping my family and me to rediscover the depth of friendship during moments when our faith convictions had cost us many friends. I thank the priests of the parish (while I was there), Fr Michael Chua and Fr George Packiasamy, for initiating me into the life of the Church and for making the parish a place of refuge during my moments of desolation. I particularly want to mention the RCIA Team of Visitation Church; your witness has inspired me very profoundly.

Reverend Fathers, religious sisters and brothers, and laity who have come from distant towns – Sabah, Sarawak, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Nilai, Mantin, Seremban, Melaka, Singapore, and other towns in Johor – I am overwhelmed at how you have travelled such a long distance just to be here.

I thank Fr Paul Wong, the Master of Ceremony for this ordination, for graciously taking this role and discharging it so steadily. Thank you, Fr James Rajendran, Rector of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Johor Bahru, for your gracious hospitality in permitting the use of the Cathedral for this event.

I thank the organising committee led by Mr Edward Yong, together with all coordinators, the choir led by Mr John Ng, altar servers and all helpers for your diligent labour of love. To Ms Angila Yong, our ever-energetic Administrative Assistant at the Pastoral Institute: thank you for helping me so tirelessly.

Many of the people present here today are also very treasured friends and family from other non-Catholic Christian communities. I am humbled at your generosity in witnessing this occasion. I need to make particular mention of the Presbyterian and Anglican communities wherein I spent most of my Christian journey. Let us together pray that the full unity of Christ’s Body – an irrevocable characteristic of the Church, symbolised by Christ's seamless garment – be one day realised in a most visible way.

I thank all of you, my brothers and sisters and dear friends, for participating in this Eucharistic Celebration. This is our faith; this is the faith of the Church and of the Apostles. Let us be proud to profess it in Christ Jesus our Lord, the Lux Mundi (the Light of the World).