By Emily Tan, SJI International Student
On the 15th of May 2025, I, along with around 100 classmates, received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Church of St Ignatius, Singapore. Among these were students of various Lasallian secondary schools including my own, St Joseph’s Institution International.
Confirmation reflects a major milestone in the life of a Catholic - it marks the beginning of a new life and journey in faith. To mark this occasion, many choose to take a new name symbolising this change and the beginning of this new journey in faith. This new name, generally that of a saint or a virtue, comes following a period of prayer where we discern and select a saint to be our companion on this journey, just as many Lasallians past and present have had companions among their communities.
Among the many saints I was considering, most notably Sts Pio of Pietrelcina and Thérèse of Lisieux, lay some Lasallians whose lives I had learned about during my time in St Joseph’s. After much prayer and contemplation, I settled on St Mutien-Marie Wiaux, a Belgian Lasallian Brother whom I first encountered as the patron saint of my house in school. His humility and simplicity of living alongside his constant devotion to God and acceptance of his brokenness as a part of himself all stood out to me. In addition, he had also learned over the course of his life to discover God in the little things of each day (to the point that he was constantly praying), something that I am striving to emulate. This idea is encapsulated in his quote “Fidelity to God in the little things of every day”, which alongside his constant pursuit excellence in his teaching vocation provided a beautiful example for me to follow. He was also an organist and trained musician, just like I am.
St Mutien-Marie’s journey of finding God in all things, his perseverance and commitment to excellence in his vocation resonate strongly with my own aspirations, offering a beautiful example to follow as I embark on this new chapter of my faith journey.
