Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

The idea to form a group of lay councillors in each parish was mooted by Father Willibrord Smit mhm during a rectors meeting on 22-23 Aug 1966 with the objective of assisting and advising the rector in the running of the parish. This idea was accepted for a trial period of six months with Penampang mission taking up the challenge in January 1967. The event that banished the fears concerning the parish councils in Sabah was the removal of missionary priests and religious by Tun Datu Mustapha Harun. It became necessary for the laity to come forward and shoulder more responsibility for the running of the church. In 1971, through the efforts of Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Father Florian Jud mhm, the parish councils were federated into a statewide organisation and became known as PAX (Persatuan Agama Katolik Sabah=Sabah Catholic Religious Union). Down the years, PAX had developed into a strong lay arm of the church with directorates controlling most sections of the church in Sabah. When the Diocese of Kota Kinabalu was erected in 1976, the position was PAX in the diocese created a unique phenomenon in the church, a diocese governed by a bishop and a parliament. (Chew, MKC, The Journey of the Catholic Church in Malaysia 1511-1996, Catholic Research Centre Kuala Lumpur 2000).

The Diocesan Organisational Pastoral Plan or DOPP was launched on 16 Sept 1997 with a period of implementation from 1998 to 2004.  Under the DOPP the PAX Board of Directors was abolished in October 1998 and replaced by the Diocesan Pastoral Council, a consultative body to the Bishop.  In October 1999, the ‘parish council’ was changed to’parish pastoral council’ – likewise, a consultative body to the parish priest.

The PAX Assembly (Diocesan Synod or Diocesan Congress) – the gathering of parish delegates – remains.  Since 1999, the assembly does not have a PAX theme to adopt nor does it deliberate on parish reports and make resolutions.  Rather, it is a venue where the delegates listen, reflect and discern together what is for the good of the archdiocese within the context of the Archdiocesan Vision/Mission – a forum for consultation and communion.  Proposals and suggestions would be taken up for further discernment before being implemented by the archdiocese.  From 2015 onwards, the PAX Assembly is organised every three years.

1975 – No Assembly – Bp Chung transferred to Kuching in March.

29.9. 1975 – Fr Simon Fung Kui Hiong of Sandakan appointed Vicar Apostolic.  Episcopal ordination on 14 Nov 1975.

1979 – Annual themes introduced.

16 Nov 1985 – Death of Bishop Fung in Melbourne Australia.  Msgr John Lee Yit Yaw elected Diocesan Administrator by Council of Priests on 22 Nov 1985.

26 June 1987 – Episcopal ordination of Msgr John Lee.

1990 – Eucharistic Congress

 2 Feb 1993 Msgr Cornelius Piong was appointed Bishop of newly created Keningau Diocese.  Episcopal ordination on 6 May 1993 in Keningau.

The PAX Assembly adopted a different format from 1995 onwards.  No annual theme was used.

16 Sept 1997 – Launching of Diocesan Organisational Pastoral Plan (DOPP) 1998-2004 SHC by Bp Lee in the presence of Abp Luigi Bressan, apostolic nuncio.  Silver Jubilee of PAX.

2000 – Great Jubilee Year – Eucharistic Congress by parish-clusters

16 July 2007 – Erection of Sandakan Diocese with Fr Julius Dusin Gitom of Tamparuli as bishop.  Episcopal ordination on 15 Oct 2017 in Sandakan.

23 May 2008 – Erection of Ecclesiastical Province of Kota Kinabalu with KK Diocese as metropolitan see and Bp John Lee as metropolitan archbishop. Thanksgiving celebration on 1 Sept 2008.

21 June 2010 – Fr John Wong Soo Kau of Sandakan appointed coadjutor to Abp Lee. Episcopal ordination on 1 Oct 2010 SHC.

1 Dec 2012 – Resignation of Abp Lee.  Abp Wong succeeded him.  Installation on 24 Jan 2013 SHC.