Sabah Clergy Pastoral Assembly

Priests are carriers of good traditions. These “good traditions” refer to the spirit of faithful service to Jesus, serving humbly, caring, and helping those in need, Bishop Cornelius Piong said during the Sabah Clergy Pastoral Assembly (SCPA) which gathered clergy from the three arch/ dioceses in the state.

Feb 03, 2023

Archbishop John Wong with Bishop Julius Dusin, Bishop Cornelius Piong and the clergy from the three arch/dioceses in Sabah.


By Liza Magnus and Didiroy Joneh
Priests are carriers of good traditions. These “good traditions” refer to the spirit of faithful service to Jesus, serving humbly, caring, and helping those in need, Bishop Cornelius Piong said during the Sabah Clergy Pastoral Assembly (SCPA) which gathered clergy from the three arch/ dioceses in the state.

Congregating at the Retreat House Diocese of Keningau, 71 priests, one deacon, and three arch/bishops gathered for four days from January 16 to 19.

The diocese Vicar General, Msgr Gilbert Lasius said the opportunity to meet all the clergy in Sabah allows them to catch up and strengthen fraternal bonds as they share experiences and challenges in priestly ministry.

“Through this gathering, we reaffirmed each other, got to know the newly ordained priests, met up with our senior priests, and shared our ups and downs as fellow priests.”

Msgr Gilbert added, “This gathering also served as a pointer: is our priestly service on the right track?”

During the various sessions at the assembly, we were reminded to serve and emulate the Good Shepherd.

This year, the SCPA focused on the Pan Malaysia Pastoral Assembly 2026 (PMPC 2026), past synodal reports, ecology, and the Sabah Pastoral Assembly 2025. Each diocese provided a report on its activities and planning.

Besides that, the clergy also played sports, engaged in group discussions, prayed and reflected together, celebrated the Eucharist, and engaged in various other bonding activities.

The diocese Development Coordination Team member, Fr Roney Mailap, said the synodal process launched Oct 2021 brought blessings to the preparation of the PMPC 2026. It strengthened and reformed the Church’s way of evangelising and serving. It also helped the diocese organise pastoral gatherings, study days, and the parish’s plans towards the PMPC 2026 which emphasised four aspects namely family, Church, ecology, and social.

Fr Roney also stated that, after the SCPA, they found that churches in Sabah are not so bureaucratic but instead resolve conflicts, issues, and problems through discussions.

“This is truly the spirit of the Synod, that the Church walks together and hears what the Holy Spirit has to say,” said Fr Roney.

Representing his fellow priests of the Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, Fr Terans Thaddeus commented, “It is a joy to be with the clergy and bishops of Sabah. We had the opportunity to find out what happened throughout the Synod report and the preparation of the PMPC. And I am strengthened through this assembly that I am not alone in the ministry of the presbyterium, no one understands a priest better than someone who is a priest...”

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments