A Seminarian's Pastoral Experience in Sabah

Jun 26, 2015

By Leo Elias
My pastoral assignment was in the parish of St Peter Claver, Ranau, in the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, January 15 till May 16, 2015. The parish rector is Rev Fr Nicholas Stephen and he is assisted by two other priests, Rev Fr Francis Tsen and Rev Fr Florian Marcus. There is also another seminarian who is doing his pastoral there, Cristiano Sumbat. In this report, I will highlight my new experiences, self-discovery and how God has shaped and used me as His instrument in reaching out to people.

Ice Breaking
On my first night in the parish of Ranau, a family day gathering for the catechetical group was held. I was surprised by the collaboration of the people in preparing “pot-luck.” Each family brought traditional delicacies which were spread on the long table. I had difficulty in trying some food, like the preserved meat and fish and some exotic food. While eating, the friendly people chatted with me. Then I was served “lihing,” a local rice alcohol. It tasted sweet and I was urged to have more. It was tempting to go on drinking but I kept within my limits because I wanted to continue mingling with the rest of the people who were present. Then they continued with karaoke and dancing. I realised the people enjoy eating, drinking, singing and dancing like most other cultures. I did not sing, even after much persuasion from the crowd because I was not prepared for it, and furthermore, I had never sung in public. Eventually, before I left, I managed to learn some Dusun and Sabah songs which I sang during my farewell party. One way of getting to know a person better is by communicating through that person’s mother tongue. During my stay, I jotted down some day to day phrases in order to communicate better with the people. They were so happy when I tried to speak to them in their own language.

Under One Roof
Secondly, I would like to share about parish community life. There were five priests and seminarians, including me, living in the parish house. I learned how important it is to stay connected to one another. One of the ways is to have meals together and the parish rector always arranged to have all three meals prepared by the in-house cook, except for off days. If the cook left for regular medical treatment, he asked one of us to cook instead. Although it was difficult for me to begin cooking, after a long time, I managed. While we enjoyed home cooking, we discussed parish matters, recent news and papal news, listening to the local radio and sharing jokes. I learned how important it is to make time for each other within the community, or the family that we live in, before reaching out to others. I was touched by the concern of the parish rector for our health and well-being. If it was a matter involving the community, the rector asked for our feedback and consensus prior to making a decision, or he would bring it up at parish meetings. I appreciate the dignity he gave us and we were frequently updated. In fact, his favourite phrase is “Shall we?” meaning, to ask us if we are ready to rise from the dining table to pray the grace after our meal.

A Shepherd Loves his Flock
I saw how amiably the priests treated the visitors in the parish. Some people travelled from as far as three hours away from the interior to meet them. If I saw them coming, I welcomed them and would ask them if they had eaten. I also offered them some snacks and drinks because they were very exhausted from travelling. I could see so much joy in their faces after I had served them, although it was such a small gesture. I was amazed by the availability of the parish priests as they immediately left their work to attend to visitors. It is like Christ who meets his people tirelessly. One of the priests shared how the Lord gave him new ideas and inspiration to continue his work after attending to a parishioner. I also realised how important it is to be transparent and to give visibility in the things that I do. Although I did not have a work table in the parish office, I worked from a space on the upper floor where the priests’ rooms were. The office is located on the ground floor, I do not work in my private room. This is also to create confidence and trust in the things that I worked on with my laptop. I also kept myself updated with recent happenings, general news and faith articles. Besides that, it was important to have effective communication in the place where we lived. I was attentive to the things that were being communicated and did not hesitate to ask if I did not understand, rather than making assumptions. As a priest, it is also crucial to communicate to a wide spectrum of people from an infant to a bed ridden elderly person. Being a priest for everyone is important.

Faith and Action Go Hand-in-hand
For the first time in Ranau, people experienced baptism by immersion during the Easter Vigil. There were 140 catechumens and I was amazed by the number. The baptism was well prepared by the faith formators, with rehearsals. The catechumens felt happy by the symbolic act of immersing themselves in the pool as dying to self and rebirth as a new person. The choir and the congregation sang the Alleluia when each candidate came out of the water. Early preparation and the catechesis helped the people to understand the meaning of liturgical celebrations. Prior to that, seminarian Cristiano and I gave sessions on preparations for Holy Week in different zones. He is also a fantastic navigator who took me around. He is a good cook too. Besides that, I joined parish meetings, observed how to run retreats with the parish rector, formation for lectors and parish level introduction to the Divine Mercy prayer. In all these sessions, the parish rector used creativity in conveying the Good News. I saw the effective use of multimedia with music, pictures, video clips, songs, and most of all, the priest’s sense of humour and sharing of personal experiences. People are drawn to personal stories and how priests encountered Christ in their life. So, it is not just to talk but to walk the talk. I visited 29 out of over 50 outstation chapels and although some of the roads were difficult and the kampongs were far, there was a joy in meeting the people. It is amazing to see how the Eucharist brings people, old and young together regardless of where they are. I was touched deeply by this wonderful experience. I also experienced staying with youths in a remote village where there is no water supply, electricity or mobile signal. It was a beautiful experience to be one with nature. And the rivers had plenty of fish. It was great being free from the hustle and bustle of city life. My love and team work with this group of youths has kept us close till now.

Widen The Horizon
I also had the privilege to join priest recollections and to meet other seminarians. I was invited to the Chinese New Year celebration by the Archbishop and I was also given the opportunity to serve during the Chrism Mass. The priests of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu were so welcoming of my presence in their regular meetings. They were friendly and it was a golden opportunity in getting to know them. Besides that, I also visited various religious congregations in Sabah. During my off days, I visited the surrounding places like the Poring hot springs, experienced river fish massage, harvesting and playing in paddy field, climbing Mount Kinabalu, plucking strawberries, vegetable farming and visiting the Don Bosco Children’s Home. I was happy to attend daily Masses in the parish and also joined the parish priests and staff in the Liturgy of the Hours. I also began to write a daily journal, made frequent examination of conscience and personal prayers. Generally, I am quite satisfied with my pastoral assignment and I believe the Lord has invigorated me to continue to serve Him more in the years to come.