It was a joyous atmosphere that enveloped St Joseph's Church, Bukit Timah (SJC) in celebration of its feast day. Families from all walks of life, from parishes across the island, and believers and non-believers alike gathered in throngs adding to the joy and excitement that was missed for nearly three years due to COVID.

The aroma from the many food stalls wafted through the air, drawing the crowds in like children to the pied piper. They patiently queued after mass in anticipation to sample the deliciousness of what they smelt in the air. It was almost like a buffet spread – there was local carrot cake, Biryani, Curry Puffs, Samosas, Lontong, Fruit Salad, Chicken Adobo, Mee Siam, Kueh Pie Tee, Soon Kueh, hot and cold beverages, and an assortment of desserts.  

Shouts of laughter and excitement came from the games stalls that attracted both the young and the young-at-heart. Children were seen rolling balls, trying to form a straight line at the Tic-Tac-Toe booth, while their parents cheered them on. Another stall saw "hunks" being dunked in pool of water whenever someone had the fortune (or misfortune) to hit the ball at the target.  

Even His Eminence Cardinal William Goh, who celebrated 1130am mass, took time to browse through the various booths and stalls during the event.

“The objective of this event is to welcome the people back to the community here,” said Richard Lee, one of the organisers of the Feast Day Celebration. 

SJC parishioner Anna Doraisamy, said that she was happy to be at the Feast Day Celebration with her family. 

“It’s been quite a while since we had something like this. The crowd was bigger and more stalls in the past. This is the first feast day celebration at the Church after COVID. It’s very nice to see so many people here today,” she said. 

CFL’s Booth @ the Community Hall 

At CFL’s booth, children were invited to draw their image of a family.  

Books for children, parenting, and couple relationships were available for free at the booth. Families even took polaroid shots at CFL's sunflower photo booth, capturing the special moment with their loved ones on the Feast Day. 

Many who gathered learned about the various programmes and services that CFL provides. 

CFL is not new to SJC. Together with the catechetical and pastoral team from SJC, CFL organised two parenting talks just in the last few months – Five Tips to Easily Motivate Your Child for Success and A Father’s Mission. Feedback had been positive, and parents learnt tips on how they can connect better with their children. The Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) will be the next programme that is being lined up at SJC for parents of primary school children. 

Dino Joy 

A popular CFL character that brought joy to many at the Feast Day Celebration was Dino Joy, an inflated dinosaur that greeted the young and old with “high fives”, posing for photo shoots with children and adults, playing games and even dancing with kids. She was indeed a crowd favourite.

Upcoming Activity 

Dino Joy and her friends also helped to inform people about an upcoming CFL family bonding activity - “A Closer Walk With You – A Charity Walk With Families, For Families”.

This event will be held in the month of June. You'll be able to sign up and support CFL through raising funds and awareness. Register for the walk today: