Warren Golf and Country Club
The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) 70th Anniversary Charity Golf tournament teed off on September 8, 2023 at the Warren Golf and Country Club. It was organised as part of the parish’s 70th anniversary year-long celebrations and to raise funds for the construction of the Catholic Hub coming up on Upper Thomson Road.
A total of 144 golfers took part. They included IHM parishioners and their friends. The afternoon saw a keen exhibition of golfing skills by the participants. One of the five novelty holes was bagged by Monsignor Patrick Saw Zay Han (First Secretary, Apostolic Nunciature, Singapore since July 2021), who lent his willing support and talented golf swing to the game.
Singapore’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo
Singapore’s former Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo was the Guest of Honour at the event. Mr Yeo, in his address to the participants, outlined how the design of the Catholic Hub exemplifies Laudato Si (encyclical issued by Pope Francis in 2015) and reminded all of the moral duty to live in harmony with Mother Nature as part of one creation. He added that some of the buildings existing on the site will be conserved to inspire all of us of our mission to serve not only the Catholic community but all Singaporeans.
Mr Edmund Chen
After the golf tournament participants ended their athletic efforts on the course, their tastebuds were wooed with cocktails and a sumptuous eight-course dinner. The evening was made all the more entertaining by a lucky draw, which was punctuated by squeals of excitement as bottles of fine wine and whisky, sleek golf equipment sponsored by TaylorMade and even a three-door fridge were presented to overjoyed winners. A charity auction was also part of the dinner celebrations. It featured autographed copies of Mr Yeo’s book (“George Yeo: Musings – Series Three”), a koi painting by Mr Edmund Chen (a local media celebrity/artiste) and a painting of Kusu Island by our very own IHM parishioner, Ms Anita Ow.
The golf game and dinner raised $175,000. Tournament convenor Patrick Lim shared that the amount far exceeded the committee’s initial target of $50,000. Said Mr Lim: “When I was asked to help convene this event, I prayed about it, asking God why he chose me. Perhaps it’s because I have a passion for golf so I enjoyed it. But this would not have been possible without the joint effort and commitment of my 12-member team.”
IHM Parish priest Fr Paul, who was also present at the event, encouraged parishioners to model their lives after Jesus Christ and to recognise diversity among our parishioners, who “pray hard but play hard”. He thanked the sponsors and friends of IHM, the golf tournament and dinner organising committee and the dedicated volunteers for their presence as well as their contributions to a worthy cause. Said Fr Ngo: “To our honoured guests and sponsors, being ‘One in Heart’ with us leaves me with a sense of thankfulness and your generosity, not easily forgotten.”
The organising committee acknowledged the contributions of the many sponsors of the event, especially individual donors and corporates, and the sponsors of food and beverages, goody bag gifts and lucky draw prizes.
