Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Emeritus Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam marked his diamond jubilee in the priesthood with the launch of his biography.
On May 11, the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre officially released the book, "Agent of Change: Essays on the Life and Times of Archbishop Emeritus Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam."
It was written by former journalists Theresa Manavalan, Marina Emmanuel, and Jacqueline Toyad.
The all-women team began working on the book at the start of the pandemic and spent three years compiling and researching Archbishop Emeritus Murphy's life and legacy.
“The research in this book enabled me to know my bishop… Most organizations take several decades to make radical changes, but he did it during his tenure as an archbishop,” said Theresa Manavalan.
The Catholic Research Center's Director, Fr. Dr. Clarenece Devadass, and Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Julian Leow, who succeeded Archbishop Emeritus Murphy, made the prelate's biography possible.
The ten-chapter book offers readers an in-depth look into the life of the archbishop emeritus.
It highlights his particular dedication to social justice, interreligious dialogue, mental health, women's empowerment, Catholic education, and laity empowerment.
The biography does not provide a linear timeline of the prelate’s life but instead serves as a collection of his anecdotes, reflections, and personal encounters.
The book launch coincided with Archbishop Emeritus Murphy's 60th sacerdotal anniversary celebration.
Around 150 guests, including his childhood friends, colleagues, and brother priests, attended.
Also present was Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Wojciech Zaluski.
Born on December 6, 1938, Archbishop Emeritus Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam received his priesthood ordination on May 10, 1964.
He served as metropolitan archbishop of Kuala Lumpur from 2003 to 2013.
Archbishop Emeritus Murphy is also the former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei (CBCMSB) and the publisher of the Catholic weekly newspaper The Herald.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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