Missionary Parish Symposium

The WELCOME – Unlocking Heartfelt Hospitality in Your Parish

4 April 2026

Conference Fee (inclusive of GST and lunch)
S$28 (Individual)
S$88 (Group of 4)

Venue 618 Upper Bukit Timah Rd 
St Francis Xavier Seminary Building
Singapore 678214

Additional Event Details

In-Person Conference

12 Apr (Fri) – 7.30pm to 9.30pm
13 Apr (Sat) – 9.30am to 4.00pm

Pre-reading Materials 
Download ABC material

Overview

The WELCOME – Unlocking Heartfelt Hospitality in Your Parish

Everyone desires to find a place where they can feel welcomed and belonged. The parish as the gathering of God’s family should be such a place. However, the reality is that our lived experience of welcome sometimes falls short. The love of Christ through the community is not always felt, leaving us to wonder what being part of God’s family is really like.

So how can our parishes be more welcoming? And if we are all part of the church and God’s family, how can each one of us play our part to intentionally extend warmth and welcome to friends and strangers alike?

Join us as we seek to answer these questions and gain insights from our Conference speakers, so we can unlock heartfelt hospitality and be the welcome for others.

Speakers Line Up

Fr. Adrian Danker, SJ

Topic: The Heart of Hospitality

Short description about the topic

Fr. Michael D’Cruz, OFM

Topic: The Welcoming Parish
In this session, Friar Michael will offer a narrative of the transformative journey undertaken by the Church of St Mary of the Angels to redefine and amplify its ethos of hospitality in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through engaging anecdotes and practical insights, Friar Michael will illuminate the challenges faced by many parishes during the pandemic, where stringent hygiene and safe distance policies inadvertently created an atmosphere akin to security checkpoints rather than places of worship and welcome. 

Attendees will gain invaluable lessons from the parish of St. Mary’s recalibration process, discovering innovative strategies for fostering genuine connections, warmth, and inclusivity within their own parish communities.  

By embracing a holistic approach to hospitality that transcends physical barriers, Friar Michael will inspire attendees to reimagine and elevate the welcoming spirit of their parishes, ensuring that all who enter feel embraced, valued, and spiritually nourished.

Fr. Terence Pereira

Topic: Sacramental Touchpoints: From Womb to Tomb

FAQ

In mattis nulla volutpat arcu vulputate sed?

Can. 476 Whenever the correct governance of a diocese requires it, the diocesan bishop can also appoint one or more episcopal vicars, namely, those who in a specific part of the diocese or in a certain type of affairs or over the faithful of a specific rite or offer certain groups of persons possess the same ordinary power which a vicar general has by universal law, according to the norm of the following canons.

Can. 478 §1. A vicar general and an episcopal vicar are to be priests not less than thirty years old, doctors, or licensed in canon law or theology or at least truly expert in these disciplines, and recommended by sound doctrine, integrity, prudence, and experience in handling matters.

Fincidunt et gravida leo mauris imperdiet ut egestas sed. Praesent neque dictumst eurci praesent dignissim non quam. Feugiat sed imperdiet senectus enim amet orci eu?

✦ ✦ ✦

We are going home, settling back into a normal routine of work and life — and licking our wounds for the foreseeable future. We gave everything to the mission. I won’t go into details here, nor will I make us out to be martyrs. I will simply say that we have counted the cost of missions as a family in every conceivable way, from finances to our health (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).

I’m thankful to be a member of a healthy church that will remind my family and me of that truth. As Christians, the presence of the body is crucial during times like these.

We need to be hugged, cried with, preached to, and resourced to help us start over again. This is why Christianity is not a journey to be taken alone. This is why Jesus saves us as part of his bride.

Augue scelerisque arcu amet a tincidunt luctus

Lorem ipsum dolor

The more the church cares for my family, the deeper the grief we feel for the peoples of the Upper Amazon Basin who still don’t have one. But the more we look into God’s word, the more confidence we have that God’s mission will still be completed, even though we now know that that means that this particular initiative will be completed without us.

Augue scelerisque arcu amet a tincidunt luctus

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Duis phasellus imperdiet libero a justo viverra. Id amet ultrices sit eget mauris pellentesque sit vitae. Augue scelerisque arcu amet a tincidunt luctus in. Nunc turpis nulla sagittis natoque cursus nec nibh viverra.  
Nunc sapien et ultrices mus placerat nisi. Ultricies ac sodales cursus pharetra arcu nunc commodo massa. Faucibus vivamus mauris ipsum curabitur tincidunt felis. Velit egestas donec sed habitant at vestibulum et auctor rutrum.  
As we prepare for His coming at Christmas, how are we preparing our hearts, and what might we need to change during this time of waiting?

Velit egestas donec sed habitant at vestibulum et auctor rutrum phasellus imperdiet libero dolor site ametis

Instructions: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Duis phasellus imperdiet libero a justo viverra. Id amet ultrices sit eget mauris pellentesque sit vitae.

For Small Christian Communities  
Conversion is not only personal endeavour, but also something we live together as a community. How are we supporting one another in this journey, and how are we as a community turning back to God?
For Ministry 
Planning is essential in ministry, but it is just as important to involve the Lord in our preparations. How can we make sure Jesus is part of our plans, so that He leads us to where He wants us to be?
For Family
 As a family, how can we move beyond our usual routines this Advent and plan ways to be more ready to receive the Lord Jesus?

Lorem Ipsum 2:1-5 
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Duis phasellus imperdiet libero a justo viverra. Id amet ultrices sit eget mauris pellentesque sit vitae. Augue scelerisque arcu amet a tincidunt luctus in. Nunc turpis nulla sagittis natoque cursus nec nibh viverra. Nunc sapien et ultrices mus placerat nisi. Ultricies ac sodales cursus pharetra arcu nunc commodo massa. Faucibus vivamus mauris ipsum curabitur tincidunt felis. Velit egestas donec sed habitant at vestibulum et auctor rutrum. Sapien faucibus morbi etiam diam vitae.

Fr. John Doe, OFM

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Duis phasellus imperdiet libero a justo viverra. Id amet ultrices sit eget mauris pellentesque sit vitae. Augue scelerisque arcu amet a tincidunt luctus in. Nunc turpis nulla sagittis natoque cursus nec nibh viverra. Nunc sapien et ultrices mus placerat nisi. Ultricies ac sodales cursus pharetra arcu nunc commodo massa. Faucibus vivamus mauris ipsum curabitur tincidunt felis. Velit egestas donec sed habitant at vestibulum et auctor rutrum. Sapien faucibus morbi etiam diam vitae.

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”  
– Matthew 28:19-20

Resources with description

Friar Michael shared how St Mary of the Angels parish transformed its approach to hospitality after COVID-19. The session provided practical strategies from St Mary's experience for creating genuine connections and inclusivity.