Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu Archidioecesis Kota Kinabaluensis Keuskupan Agung Kota Kinabalu
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Location
Country	Malaysia
Ecclesiastical province	Kota Kinabalu
Metropolitan	Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Coordinates
Statistics
Area
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2010) 1,306,900 189,010 (14.46%)
Parishes	17
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	1976
Cathedral	Sacred Heart Cathedral
Secular priests	33
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	John Wong Soo Kau
Vicar General	Primus Jouil
Emeritus Bishops	John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw Archbishop Emeritus
Website
www.kkdiocese.net www.sacredheartcathedralkk.org

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu (Lat: Archdioecesis Kotakinabaluensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sabah, a state of Malaysia on Borneo. The Archdiocese has a long history slowly rising along with the Catholic population all the way from a prefecture to an Archdiocese with 2 suffragans. The Archdiocese is the oldest ecclesiastical territory in Malaysia.

Its Cathedral episcopal see is Sacred Heart Cathedral, in Kota Kinabalu.

History

Originally erected on 4 September 1855 as the Apostolic prefecture of Labuan and Borneo, created from territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia (Java) (including the neighbouring Dutch East Indies).

0n 5 February 1927 it was renamed the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Borneo, and lost territory to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Sarawak.

On 14 February 1952 the prefecture was promoted to Apostolic Vicariate of Jesselton, hence entitled to a titular bishop. On 22 March 1962 its name was changed once more to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kota Kinabalu, after its see.

On 31 may 1976 the vicariate was elevated to a full Diocese, suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching.

The diocese lost territories twice, to create its present suffragans: on 17 December 1992 the diocese the Diocese of Keningau and on 16 July 2007 the Diocese of Sandakan.

On 23 May 2008, the diocese was elevated to Metropolitan Archdiocese, whose ecclesiastical province comprises the above suffragan dioceses, both formerly part of the original territory of the diocese of Kota Kinabalu: the Diocese of Keningau and the Diocese of Sandakan.

On 21 June 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr. John Wong Soo Kau, director of the aspirants’ formation house in Kota Kinabalu, as Coadjutor Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu. His ordination took place on 1 October 2010.

As of 2013 the Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu was John Wong Soo Kau, appointed in 2010. His predecessor was John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw, appointed in 1987 and retired on 1 December 2012.

Ordinaries

(all Roman Rite; initially missionary members of a Latin congregation)

Apostolic Prefect of Labuan and Borneo

• Edmondo Dunn, Mill Hill Missionaries (M.H.M.) † (4 May 1897 Appointed - 5 February 1927), Appointed Apostolic Prefect of Sarawak (1927.02.05 – death 1935)

Apostolic Prefect of Labuan and Borneo

• Augusto Wachter, M.H.M. † (2 Jul 1927 Appointed - 1945 Died)

Apostolic Vicars of Kota Kinabalu

• James Buis † (18 Jan 1947 Appointed - 1972 Resigned), Titular Bishop of Astypalæa (1952.02.14 – death 1980.04.24)
• Peter Chung Hoan Ting ( 1972 Succeeded - 1975 Appointed) succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Kota Kinabalu (1970.09.01 – 1972) & Titular Bishop of Asolo (1970.09.01 – 1976.05.31), later Apostolic Vicar of Kuching (Malaysia) (1975 – 1976.05.31), President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (1976 – 1979), promoted first Metropolitan Archbishop of above Kuching (1976.05.31 – 2003.06.21), President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (1994 – 2000)
• Simon Michael Fung Kui Heong † (29 Aug 1975 Appointed - 1976.05.31 see below), Titular Bishop of Catabum Castra (1975.08.29 – 1976.05.31)

Suffragan Bishops of Kota Kinabalu

• Simon Michael Fung Kui Heong † (see above 1976.05.31–16 November 1985 Died)
• John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw (26 Jun 1987 Appointed Bishop - 23 May 2008see below)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Kota Kinabalu

• John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw (23 May 2008 - 1 December 2012 retired as Archbishop), now Archbishop Emeritus
• Archbishop John Wong Soo Kau (1 December 2012 - ...), succeeding as former Coadjutor Archbishop (21 June 2010 - 1 December 2012)

List of parishes

There are 19 parishes and sub-parishes in the Archiocese of Kota Kinabalu.

• Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish (Sacred Heart Cathedral, Karamunsing/Church of Mary Immaculate, Bukit Padang/Carmelite Monastery Chapel)
• St Pius X's Parish, Bundu Tuhan, Ranau
• St Paul's Parish, Dontozidon, Penampang (including Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Kobusak and St John Chapel Kopungit)
• St Edmund's Parish, Kota Belud
• St Theresa's Parish, Kota Marudu
• Blessed Sacrament Parish, Labuan
• Holy Rosary Parish, Limbahau, Papar
• St Catherine's Parish, Inanam, Kota Kinabalu
• St Peter's Parish, Kudat
• St Joseph's Parish, Papar (including St Patrick Church, Kinuta sub-parish)
• St Michael's Parish, Penampang
• St Peter Claver's Parish, Ranau
• Stella Maris Parish, Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu (Stella Maris Church, Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu/St Thomas Church, Kepayan, Kota Kinabalu and the upcoming sub-parish of St Catherine Laboure, Putatan, Penampang)
• Holy Family Parish, Telipok, Kota Kinabalu
• St John's Parish, Tuaran
• St Simon's Parish, Likas, Kota Kinabalu
• Parish of Holy Nativity, Terawi, Penampang
• Parish of St Joseph the Worker, Kiulu, Tuaran
• Parish of the Holy Trinity (Sacred Heart of Jesus), Inobong, Penampang

See also

• Catholic Church in Malaysia
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Malaysia

Sources and External links

• GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links
• Catholic-Hierarchy