St Anne’s Church in the Archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak, held an early Gawai and Kaamatan celebration from May 15 to May 17, bringing together Catholics from indigenous communities in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, collectively known as East Malaysia.
Kaamatan, the harvest festival celebrated in Sabah, will officially take place on May 30 and 31, while Sarawak’s Gawai Dayak festival falls on June 1 and 2. However, celebrations among indigenous communities often begin earlier and continue through mid-June.
The celebrations at St Anne’s Church began on May 15 with a Mass in Bahasa Malaysia.
On May 16, parish priest Friar Ramirez Don, OFM, officially opened the event by striking a traditional gong. Mass was later celebrated by parish clergy, including Friar Nelson Evarinus Sipalan, OFM.
Parishioners attended the three days of Eucharistic celebrations wearing traditional attire representing indigenous communities from Sabah and Sarawak, including members of Sarawak’s Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu and Melanau communities, as well as indigenous groups from Sabah in traditional harvest festival dress.
The programme also included cultural performances and a community gathering after Mass.
Parish communion minister Michael Dass, who was the only non-Dayak participant at the celebration, told Radio Veritas Asia that the event was important in preserving indigenous culture and strengthening unity among Catholics from different communities.
“Gawai and Kaamatan are thanksgiving celebrations for the harvest and for the community,” Dass said.
He said the annual event also helps younger people learn about their traditions and cultural background.
Dass added that the Church plays a role in bringing together Catholics from different ethnic and language groups in Sabah and Sarawak.
Gawai and Kaamatan are annual harvest festivals celebrated by indigenous communities in Malaysia’s Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak. Indigenous Catholics from these communities who are living and working in Singapore and Peninsular (West) Malaysia also organise harvest-themed Eucharistic celebrations and cultural gatherings in their parishes.
Catholic churches across Sabah and Sarawak are expected to continue organising harvest-themed Masses and community celebrations in the coming weeks.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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