A community of Catholic men dedicated to be Men of Christ, fulfilling their role as priest, prophet and king in their family and community.

A CALL TO BATTLE

A brotherhood of Catholic men who seek to live out our Catholic faith fully in our family and community.

Our Story

We sought to establish a foundation among Catholic men in CDM to; 1) form, build and deepen their relationship with Jesus; 2) return to the core fundamentals of the Catholic faith; and 3) drop their egos and be open to authentic sharing and journeying with both Jesus and their fellow brothers-in-Christ,” said Catholic Watchmen founder David Fong.

David recalled that he was inspired by a document titled “Into the Breach”, which he read in early 2017. The document was an apostolic exhortation from Bishop Thomas Olmsted from the Diocese of Phoenix in the United States to all Catholic men, calling them to arise and become what God called them to be.

He also noted that the very norms and definition of manhood are being challenged and redefined today. “The issue of fatherlessness and the absent or uninvolved father is very real,” he said.

“Many men struggle with wounds from their family of origin and often suffer in silence as they do not have an outlet to speak about their struggles.”

David added that Catholic Watchmen provides a safe space for Catholic men to encourage and strengthen each other in the faith, as well as to talk about the challenges they face in living up to their role as spiritual leader, protector and provider in their families.

What We Do

Scripture

  • Mass Readings Explained – Wednesday @ 8pm CDM Parish Hall

Community Service

  • Church Cleaning
  • Charitable Works

Prayer and Worship

  • Monthly Holy Hour and Confession

  • Prayer and Rosary Sessions

Nature Walks

  • Walking with the Lord

Fellowship

  • Building and Strengthening communities among Men

Workshops

  • Rosary Making

Catholic Watchmen Events

Please scan the QR Code to receive notifications of upcoming events.

Seven Sorrows & Seven Joys of of St. Joseph

Sessions on 22nd June, 27th July, 24th August, 28th September, 23rd November &

28th December.

Contact David Fong c/o catholicwatchen@divinemercy.sg

Logo Representation

The Crown refers to Christ the King whom we serve.

The Shield represents both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary as well as the Shield of Faith that protects us from the arrows of the evil one.

The Cross reminds us of the Crucified Christ who has asked us to pick up our cross to follow him as priest, prophet and king in our family and community.

Red signifies the blood of Christ and that of the saints and martyrs who gave their lives in defending the truth and our faith.

And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me…

Ezekiel 22:30

Our Commitment

As Catholic Watchmen, we commit to …

Pick up our cross and follow Christ.
Embrace the biblical family culture over the secular family culture.
Be the priest, prophet & king in our family & community in the model of Christ.
Bring Heaven into our home & community & help bring all souls to Heaven.
As iron sharpens iron, so one brother sharpens another that we can be Men of Christ, Men for Christ.

Disciplines

DAILY PRACTICES
Pray with persistence and with devotion to Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Encounter Jesus in Sacred Scripture.
Strive to be a spiritual father like St Joseph.

WEEKLY PRACTICES
Engage fully in every Sunday Mass.
Serve to be a spiritual father like St Joseph.

MONTHLY PRACTICES
Go to Confession regulary.
Build fratenity and evangelise men in regular parish gatherings.

Rite of Commitment

An extraordinary Rite of Commitment Mass was held on 30 July 2018.  Some 47 Catholic Watchmen (CW) brothers gathered in the chapel to make their pledge before God and community.  Each CW commits to devote time for daily prayer and reading of sacred scriptures, be fully engaged at Mass, and go for regular confession.  The men will carry their cross, journey with each other and follow Christ.  Fr Damian, who celebrated the Mass, called the CW to be spiritual husbands/fathers like St. Joseph and be the spiritual leader/protector/provider in their families.  He said this men movement is the first of its kind in the diocese, and he hopes that like the mustard seed, the CW will grow into a big tree – a spiritually strong community where it can shelter (defend) families from the evil influences of today’s contemporary culture.  As iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), our CW brothers will help sharpen each other to be Men of Christ, Men for Christ.  This verse, which is part of the CW pledge, gave Michelle (wife of CW John Tan) assurance and she said, “A man of Christ and a man for Christ will surely be a man who knows how to love his family.”  Claire Abraham (sister of CW Benedict) said “It is good to know that we have a support group for Catholic men to grow.”  The CW fraternity meets every fortnight for spiritual formation and fellowship.

A Brotherhood of Sharing and Learning

David Fong

We try to intersperse the fortnightly sessions with different activities, such as faith formation, Holy Hour, community service, movie night, Day of Recollection.

But in every session, we break into our regular small group discussion, and end with the men praying with and for one another in these groups.

He admits that the community takes time to be built up, which requires the participation and commitment of each member.

Besides the grace of God, what helps to sustain this community is the three-fold collaboration of the parish priest, a key champion and a core leadership team.

As CDM celebrates its 10th anniversary, David hopes that the community grows and sustains itself in the light and love of Christ. He also hopes that each Catholic Watchmen member adheres to the fundamental disciplines of the Catholic faith, and lives out his vocation as prophet, priest and king of his family and community.

That they bring Heaven into their home and community, and bring all souls to Heaven.

Nilakshan Perera

My family joined the CDM parish in August 2016. Prior to that, we attended Mass at the Church of Risen Christ in Toa Payoh.

My wife, Rasaderi, and my elder daughter, Nishee, both served in CDM as a catechist and lector, respectively. My younger daughter, Rishee, just received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

I have been with Catholic Watchmen since its inception. Through the sharing sessions with my fellow brothers in the community, I have been inspired and motivated in my faith. These sharing sessions have also been very interesting.

I feel reassured that we are doing our best to build a strong brotherhood supporting one another in our faith.

As iron sharpens iron, one brother sharpens another so that we can be “Men of Christ, Men for Christ”.

I am grateful to our Spiritual Director Fr Romeo, as well as David Fong and his team for their earnest efforts to build a vibrant and wonderful community at CDM, the first of its kind in Singapore.

Aaron Moses Pang

When I was born, my mother, a cradle Catholic, wanted to get me baptised. However, my father, who was a free thinker, said to let me decide on my own when I grew up.

While I was not raised a Catholic, I did go to church when I was younger, but stopped going after.

It was only in 2016 when I woke up and felt like returning to the church. I then decided to join my grandparents for Mass at CDM.

When I entered the church, I felt so loved and at peace. One thing led to another, and I joined RCIA at CDM in 2016. I subsequently got baptised in 2017.

Catholic Watchmen so far has been an interesting experience for me. It was very interesting to see men of different ages and walks of life gather together and share about their lives. This included the struggles we faced at home or outside of work/school or in our faith life.

As a single, I learnt a lot from my fellow brothers who are married. We also gathered to praised and worship God – that was the most important thing.

Catholic Watchmen gave me a space to share freely and be vulnerable with my fellow brothers. It allowed me to learn how to not just become a better man, but also a better son to God.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are we about?
A brotherhood of Catholic men who seek to live out our Catholic faith fully in our family and community.

2. What is the purpose of this group?
We encourage one another to be men of Christ. As priest, prophet and king in the example of Jesus, we learn to be the self-sacrificing protector, provider and spiritual leader in our family and community.

3. Is there any fee involved?
There are no fees. However, food and beverages will be provided for the meetings and a love offering box is available for contributions from members.

4. Who is this group meant for?
For all Catholic men (age 21 and above) in all states of life – single, married, widowed or divorced. We are unapologetically Catholic, grounded in sacred scripture, sacred tradition and following the teachings of the Catholic Church. We welcome all who are parishioners and non-parishioners of CDM.

We caught up with Francis and his son Leonard, who signed up to be Catholic Watchmen

What made you join the Catholic Watchmen? Did you influence each other to attend?

Francis: After listening to the sermon preached by Fr Terence as well as watching the video clip, it dawned on me that I should step forward and be a part of this brotherhood of men to help build a community of faith-filled men. While the mother vis-a-vis wife play a strong and emotional supporting role in the family, it is the father/husband who must lead the family and be a good influence on the children. Generally, children look up to their fathers, and children with responsible a father-figure tend to grow-up with more confidence. As my son, Leonard is already an adult but not yet attached, I encouraged him to tag along and learn from the other watchmen so he, too can learn from others and perhaps be a better dad in the future.

Lenoard: Like my dad, I was taken in upon listening to what Fr Terence preached in his sermon about the Catholic Watchmen. The slide that he projected was quite alarming as it showed that families without a father-figure suffered the consequences of dysfunctional kids. My sister and I were blessed to have a wonderful mother and father to guide us but it was my dad who played an active role in growing up years influencing me in some the major decisions in my life. My dad who was seated next to me nudged and asked me to tag along for the info night. Though I did not give him an immediate response then (due to uncertain work hour), nonetheless, he registered me.

What were your thoughts when you met the rest of the “watchmen” during the first meet up?

Francis: I belong to the senior citizens group, i.e. aged 60 and above. When we first met I can sense that everyone was cautious as most of us did not know what the Catholic Watchmen is all about. As for me, I can sense that though all the brothers in my age group have gone through our own life experiences, each of us has a different level of spirituality. I was opened to others’ sharing of their life journeys much as they were opened and encouraging to each other as well.

Leonard: I was grouped with the youngest age group from 21 – 29 years old. There were only three of us. Initially, when I entered the parish hall I was surprised by the large turnout of men who are mostly older than us. I thought these older men were gonna bored us with their lifetime stories. During the sharing in my group, we all agreed that our fathers played an important role in our respective life. We concurred with sorry state of our peers or even younger youths whom we know or read about, who sadly, do not have a father-figure in their households. At the end of the info night, we got to hear the sharing of each age group. I must say I left the info night with a change perception of the Catholic Watchmen and what it has in store for us. I understand that we have some interesting sessions line up in the months ahead.

Do you have any words of encouragement for other catholic men to join as well?

Francis: I would strongly encourage all Catholic men to join us and be a member of this brotherhood. While majority of men may be the sole bread winners, we must set time aside to nourish our soul, our spirit with His grace so that we can be a good role model, a father figure in the home to our children or a brother-in-Christ to the younger generation vis-a-vis the millenial generation. For us Catholic men to be able to function well in that role, we need to come forward and be a part of this community so that we can learn from each other and build up the camaraderie among the brotherhood in the parish. We are the first parish to have such a community, so let us come together and be living and shining witnesses of God’s love for his people, and how this love can transcend the different generations.

Leonard: In the current CW community, the 21-29 age group is grossly under-represented. After having attended two CW sessions (including info night), I am now more open in wanting to know and learn more from this band of brothers. I would like to take this opportunity to invite all Catholic young adults to come forward to join in this brotherhood of Catholic men. As the term watchmen means it is for us a Catholic young men to learn from our older brothers the good characteristics and help us to be exemplary future husbands cum father-figures in our own families vis-a-vis the community.

 

Contact Us

All Catholic men (married and single) aged 21 and above are welcome to know more about the Catholic Watchmen. For enquiries, please contact:

DAVID FONG

T | 9635 5464
E | catholicwatchmen@divinemercy.sg

Address: 19 Pasir Ris St 72 Singapore 518771
Phone: +65 6583 3378