Profile of Julian Leow Beng Kim

Oct 06, 2014

Early Days
Fr Julian Leow Beng Kim was born on January 3, 1964 in Seremban. He is the second child of Daniel and Audrey Leow.

He has an older sister, Valentina Leow and two younger siblings, Colette Leow and Justin Leow.

From 1971 to 1982, he attended St Paul’s Catholic Mission School in Seremban for his elementary and secondary studies.

In 1983, he went to Hurstville Boys High School in Sydney, Australia for his Year 12, where he received his High School Certificate.

From 1984 to 1989, he studied at New South Wales University in Australia where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Building.

During that time, he also worked as a Steward on the State Railways, as personal Assistant to the principal of a Law firm and as Contracts Administrator to a Building Construction firm.

After those studies, he worked in Sydney and then in Singapore, Johor and Kuala Lumpur, as site coordinator at different constructions.

Baptism with maternal grandmother.

Seminary
In 1994, he entered College General Major Seminary in Penang for his studies for formation to the priesthood.

During these eight years, he was posted to his home parish (Church of the Visitation) to survey the realities of his home parish. He also spent time in the Church of St Ignatius in PJ where he was exposed to parish life and the priesthood of the CDD family.

He was also posted to a few parishes in Penang Diocese where he was involved in the youth ministry, RCIA, Catechetics, Chinese Language Apostolate and the Charismatics.



Priest
On April 20, 2002, he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur. He was ordained together with anothen Seremban ‘boy’ Fr Dionysius Mathews.

From 2002 to 2004, he served as assistant parish priest of the Church of the Visitation in Seremban.

In 2004, he was sent to Taiwan for a six-month course in Mandarin.

On December 1, 2004, he became Parish Priest of Holy Family Parish in Kajang.

From 2007 to 2010, he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he received a Bachelor’s Degree and a Licentiate in Church History. (equivalent to a Master’s Degree).

Upon completion of these studies and return to Malaysia, he was appointed professor and formator at College General Major Seminary in Penang, a position that he holds until now.

He held various ministries: Archdiocesan assistant youth director, director of the propaedeutic year and the Archdiocesan vocation director.



Archbishop
On the Feast of St Thomas the Apostle, July 3, 2014, Fr Julian Leow Beng Kim, 50, was appointed Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, by Pope Francis. He succeeds Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam, 75, whose resignation the Holy Father accepted on Dec 13, 2013.


Source: The Leow Family, Sinaran, Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur