Kuching Archdiocese Marks 50 Years, Honors Mill Hill Missionaries

More than 2,000 Catholics joined a 3.8-kilometer Eucharistic procession through Kuching, the capital of Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo, on October 18, marking the 50th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Kuching and the 100th World Mission Sunday, Today’s Catholic reported.

The celebration began with a Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Simon Poh, followed by a procession through the city streets with the Blessed Sacrament at its center.

In his address before the Mass, Archbishop Poh recalled the establishment of the archdiocese on May 31, 1976, and paid tribute to the missionaries and Church leaders who helped build the local Catholic community.

“We are grateful. We remember with gratitude the Mill Hill Missionaries who laid the foundation since their arrival here on July 10, 1881,” he said.

He also remembered the bishops, priests, religious sisters, catechists, and laypeople who contributed to the Church’s growth, praying for those who had died.

Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung became the first archbishop in 1976, followed by Archbishop Emeritus John Ha in 2003. Archbishop Poh assumed leadership of the archdiocese in 2017.

The Mass reflected Sarawak’s cultural and linguistic diversity, with Scripture readings in English, Malay, Mandarin, Iban, and Bidayuh. Parishioners from Holy Spirit Parish in Lundu attended in traditional Bidayuh attire.

At about 5:20 p.m., the faithful began the procession from the cathedral, passing along Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, Jalan Barrack, Jalan Pearl, Jalan McDougall, Wayang Street, and Main Bazaar before returning to the cathedral.

The procession stopped at Padang Merdeka, a public square in central Kuching, where Archbishop Poh raised the monstrance containing the consecrated Eucharistic host to bless the gathering. The procession concluded at about 7:10 p.m.

The celebration honored five decades of the archdiocese’s history while recalling the missionary efforts that began in the region in 1881 and laid the foundations for the growth of the Catholic Church in Sarawak.