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"Compassionate. Good-hearted. Faithful. Dedicated" 
These are among the words used to describe Father Louis Loiseau, who celebrated his 80th birthday on Sunday, 25 June. He's currently the associate priest at Church of the Risen Church in Toa Payoh, which he has been serving for 16 years.
Thanksgiving Mass
 To thank him for his dedication, the Parish Community organised a Thanksgiving Mass at 6pm, followed by a sumptuous Dinner celebration at nearby Fortunate Restaurant.
The main celebrant of the Mass was none other than Fr Loiseau himself!
Mass was crowded. Apart from the congregation, there were 15 priests and 18 religious.
Notably present were Catholic members of the French-speaking community in Singapore. Thus, the second reading and some hymns were sung in French.
Fr Loiseau's sermon reflected his unwavering faith. The veteran priest said a lot of things happen beyond our comprehension.
Sharing his personal experiences, he himself had unanswered questions; why did his father fall ill while he was serving in Asia?
 Why are there are so few French priests? Why do tsunamis, wars and disasters happen? Why are so many of his countrymen leaving the church? Why was such a book "The Da Vinci Code" written?
Nevertheless, the veteran priest reminded the congregation to trust in the Lord, & that He always keeps His promises.
He shared his favourite scripture verses.
One from the Gospel of Luke ( 23: 42 ) "Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!" & "Lord, You know everything; you know that I love you!" (John 21: 17).
He also urged the congregation to pray to be sent forth, as they receive the Holy Eucharist.
 A touching video, which chronicled Fr Loiseau's life, was played at the end of the service.
It included messages from the different ministries in Church of the Risen Christ, which he serves as Spiritual Director.
Photos of the then young and handsome priest also captivated the congregation. For many, the video made them appreciate Fr Loiseau's contributions even more.
Later, Monsignor Eugene Vaz, who represented Archbishop Nicholas Chia, revealed that Fr Loiseau asked to preside the Mass himself because "he did not want anyone to say nice things about him."
Monsignor Vaz said he was scheduled to preside the Mass, and had actually worked on the homily months ahead! This drew laughter from the crowd. His sharing goes to show what a humble person the birthday boy is.
 Monsignor Vaz also shared with the congregation that Archbishop Nicholas Chia admires Fr Loiseau's stamina and dedication to his priestly calling, despite advancing in age.
In his thank-you note to the congregation, Fr Loiseau's sense of humour was apparent, leaving the people in stitches. For example, he said he planned to out-serve Fr Francis Lee who served previously in the parish for 19 and half years!
After mass, parishioners & well-wishers were handed souvenir cards, which also had the Lord's Prayer in Latin.
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