CATHOLIC today’s
A monthly publication of the Archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak
Permit No PPK 148/01/2013(031378)
Vol 30 No 9 December 2018
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16)
Wishing all readers a fruitful Advent and a blessed Christmas! Today’s Catholic Editorial Board
Miri’s pioneering local priests enter their 5th decade of Sacerdotal Ministry
MIRI — 20 November will always be remembered as a special day in the history of Miri Diocese as the community gathered to celebrate the Ruby Jubilee of priestly ordination of Monsignor Francis Kulleh, Fr Philip Empalah and Fr Peter Mering. The celebration was doubly special as the celebrants are the first native priests – the firstfruit of Mill Hill Missionaries from the Diocese of Miri; they became pioneers for many others to follow in the years to come. 90,000 devout Catholics in Miri Diocese, which covers up to northern Sarawak, with an outpouring of thanks and praises, expressed their gratitude to God for the three celebrants for their 40 years of dedicated and faithful service to God and to the community. Bishop Richard Ng paid tribute to the trio, acknowledging their enormous and invaluable contributions in giving their lives to sow the seeds of the Gospel in this vast
WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS ... Bishop Richard (right), Msgr Francis Kulleh (2nd right), Fr Philip Empalah and Fr Peter Mering (left) at their 40th sacerdotal anniversary Mass in Miri. land of Miri. the people are an inspiration example for all of us,” he said at “We are grateful to God for to all of us. Their 40 years’ the Mass at the Church of Mater these blessings he has given to journey of faith until now must Dei, Lutong. us. We remember those pioneer have seen them through a lot These pioneering priests missionaries including Msgr of hardships and sacrifices and had served in many rural areas Francis, Fr Philip Empalah and disappointments. They have throughout northern Sarawak, Fr Peter Mering who have led us kept faith in God through their including the deep interior to Jesus Christ. obedience and dedication to the settlements of Belaga and Baram. “Their dedicated and faithful Gospel. They are among the pioneer obedient service to God and to “We thank them. They are an batch of local Sarawakian
priests to have served with the European and American Mill Hill missionaries. They faced enormous physical, logistics and financial constraints in the early years where accessibility was severely lacking. The Chairman of Orang Ulu National Association of Miri, Peter Kallang, also paid tribute to the trio. So too did Sarawak Assistant Minister for Tourism, Datuk Lee Kim Shin. Kallang said the three pioneer priests have done a lot to build up the Catholic Church in the northern part of Sarawak. “They built chapels and churches and guided the locals in the path of the Gospel,” he said. Kallang said through the grace of God, these local pioneer priests together with the foreign Mill Hill missionaries also set up schools throughout the diocese, contributing much towards the development of the rural communities. • Continued from p4
First local priests: we persevered by God’s love and grace The three jubilarians – Msgr Francis Kulleh, Fr Philip Empalah and Fr Peter Mering – shared briefly their journeys of faith in conjunction with their 40th Sacerdotal Anniversary, “It has been 40 years of joy and blessings serving God and his flock in Miri Diocese despite the physical hardships and emotional challenges, especially during the early years where accessibility was severely lacking. When I first started out Fr Philip Empalah (3rd from left) with Fr Francis Kulleh next to as a young priest and was him with beard and Fr Peter Mering celebrating Mass after their serving with the Mill Hill ordination 40 years ago. missionaries, we had to walk Website: http://www.todayscatholic.com.my
through the jungle for days to reach a village. I have endured many physical pains, serious illnesses, surgery and kidney transplant and even capsized boat incidents. However, by the grace of God with the mutual love between the parishioners and us as the ordained minister, I managed to sustain myself and persevered to this day. Throughout my 40 years
of ministry, I have served in almost all the eleven parishes in Miri Diocese. It is truly a journey that we must all persevere right to the end. ” — Msgr Francis Kulleh See p4 for the sharings by Fr Philip and Fr Peter, and more photos
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