The Diocese of Sibu (; Malay: Keuskupan Sibu; Mandarin: 诗巫教区) is a Latin Catholic ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Church in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, covering areas from Sarikei to Mukah.
Erected in 1986 by Pope John Paul II and first led by (the late) Dominic Su Haw Chiu, this diocese is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching. The diocesan cathedral is the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sibu. The Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saint Joseph are the principal patrons of the diocese.
Since 12 February 2012, Joseph Hii Teck Kwong has been the bishop of Sibu.
History
The Sibu Catholic Mission started in 1899 when Fr. Cornelius Keet MHM, a Mill Hill priest from the Netherlands, first arrived. A small hut was built for the priest to stay on his travels to Bintangor and Sare (Sarikei). Although it was only a short stay, he managed to convert a few hundred people to the Catholic faith before he was recalled to Kuching.
Fr. Vincent Halder MHM arrived Sibu in 1906. He built the old Sacred Heart Church on stilts which served the Catholic community until 1954. Fr. Halder is described as a most lovable character. He was extremely well liked by his boys and by all the people in Sibu. A new convent school was opened in 1929 and 13 churches were built in the lower Rejang area as the Mission was called. Fr. Halder left for Europe on 1 March 1931 and on his return, he fell ill and died in Singapore on 16 August 1936 at the age of 57. The Catholics from Sibu had his body brought back and he was buried in the mission compound. When his body was exhumed 28 years later to make way for development, it was found to be incorrupt, so he was given a second funeral around Sibu town.
Fr. Keet returned to Sibu and was assisted by Fr. Aloysius Hopfgartner MHM. This was the first push in the Rejang District towards work among the Chinese. Education was of primary concern. Fr. Hopfgartner founded the Sacred Heart School and became its principal until he was transferred to Sandakan, Sabah in 1908.
Fr. William van Odijk MHM took over from Fr. Halder and the mission continued to flourish, looking also after the Lower Rejang area. Since 1910 Sibu is mentioned as a separate mission. Fr. Odijk died in 1936 at the age of 55.
Fr John Vos MHM arrived and was mainly involved in school work. His stay in Sibu was short before moving to Kuching. He was succeeded by Fr James Buis MHM in 1938. As the Sacred Heart School grew, priests like Fr. Thomas Delaney MHM (1933–1937), Fr. William Wagenaar MHM (1935–1938), Fr. Gerard Bruggeman MHM (1937–1940), Fr. Francis Hulsbosch MHM (1938–1939), and Fr. John Dekker MHM (1940–1942) were assigned to take up teaching posts. Besides school work they were also engaged in pastoral work.
In May 1942, the European priests were interned by the Japanese at Batu Lintang camp, Kuching. Fr. Joseph Chin was the only remaining local priest in the whole of the Rejang region, and had to go underground to carry out his priestly duties. He went house to house offering Mass secretly. He was caught twice and was flogged and jailed. He was highly esteemed by all who know him. He was the builder of St Mary's church and was its first priest from 1967 to 1968. He died of cancer in 1969.
The Japanese surrendered in 1945. The interned priests were flown from Kuching to Labuan in September to recuperate for a short time. It was decided that some priests would go to Europe for long leave, others would start to re-open the mission stations. Fr. Buis returned to Sibu, so the mission revived and continued to flourish. Fr. Dekker revived the Sacred Heart School at the end of 1945. In a couple of years the schools and mission were back to a healthy growth. Fr. John Maher MHM came in 1946 and taught for 5 years in Sacred Heart School.
Fr. James Buis was appointed Prefect for North Borneo (now Sabah) on 18 January 1947. Frs. John Dekker and William Wagenaar were appointed acting rectors during 1947 to 1950. During those years, Frs. Clement Epping MHM and Charles Reiterer MHM arrived at Sibu to perform pastoral and educational work.
Fr. Adrian de Vos MHM became the new rector of Sibu Mission in January 1950. He also became the principal of Sacred Heart School which by this time had 600 students. In 1954 the Mill Hill Fathers realised they could not cope with their missionary work and the school as well, so they invited De La Salle Brothers to take over the running of Sacred Heart School. Brother Fridolin became the principal. The school continues to run under them until the appointment of the first local principal, Samuel Tan, in 1987.
Frs. Thomas Taam and Anthony Lam, Chinese missionaries who escaping communist warfare in mainland China, arrived at Sibu to begin their pastoral mission in the 1940s and 1950s, and subsequently obtained Malaysian citizenship upon Malaysia's creation in 1963. The Su brothers, Dominic (later bishop; 1939-2026), Francis (born 1942), and Philip (1945-2003) were ordained simultaneously in the 1960s. They were later followed by Frs. Peter Ng, Michael Lee, and James Ting the following year.
On 22 December 1986, Pope John Paul II, by the order of papal bull "Adoranda Christi Verba" Vatican website, Sibuensis erected the Diocese of Sibu, as a suffragan see of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching. Fr. Dominic Su was ordained by Pope John Paul II as bishop of Sibu on 6 January 1987 at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City.
Fr. David Bingham MHM, a Briton, served for 14 years mostly in the Selangau area, during which time the mission was developed, not only in buildings but also the Stations of the Cross on the hill slope. Fr. William Bos MHM, a Dutchman, served Sibu Mission in looking after the Than Catholics in town, along the Oya and Igan. He served the diocese as Vicar General from 1987. He and Fathers Bingham, Thomas O'Connor MHM of Ireland and Ferdinand Vergeer MHM of the Netherlands became first foreign priests served under newly created diocese and they all are Mill Hill priests.
Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) was established in Sibu on 27 July 1987 and were divided into 5 zones. On 28 May 1991, deacon Joseph Sebastian of Dalat became the first Melanau to be ordained priest at the old Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Mukah, and second from the town, following (the late) Fr. Lawrence Chua. In 1993, three priests from Sibu, Frs. Joseph Hii (now bishop), Andrew Tan, and Alphonsus Tang (formerly a Methodist), were ordained simultaneously by bishop Su. They were later followed by Frs. Paul Chee in 1996, and Paul Ling in 1997.
In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Su's resignation due to age and health problems, and appointed Fr. Joseph Hii as Auxiliary Bishop of Sibu. By the time, the last priests ordained by Su were Frs. Simon Lau, Fabian Kong, Philip Hu and David Ho. Fr. Hii was ordained in May 2008 and installed as bishop of Sibu in February 2012. At the same year, Fr. Mark Aloysius SJ, a Jesuit, became the first priest to be ordained by the new bishop at St. Mary's Church. The first African to serve the diocese was Fr. Matthews Olili MHM, a Kenyan, in 2011.
Bishops The seat of the bishop is at Sacred Heart Cathedral. These are the lists of the bishops and auxiliary bishop of the diocese and their years of service: No.PortraitNamePeriod in officeInsignia1Dominic Su Haw Chiu (1939-2026)11 February 1987–24 December 20112Joseph Hii Teck Kwong (born 1965)15 February 2012–present
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong (2008–2012), appointed Bishop of Sibu on 24 December 2011 and installed 15 February 2012
Parishes
Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, Jln. Lanang, Sibu Rector(s): Rev. Joseph Sebastian Assistant(s): Rev. Francis Go, OFM Cap (outstationed from the Diocese of Melaka-Johor), Rev. Raphael Samosir, OFM Cap (Capuchin Franciscan from Indonesia), Rev. Edward Raymond Misius (outstationed from Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu) and The Very Rev. Msgr. Paul Chee Haw Pau (Vicar general emeritus) sub-parishes of Kemuyang Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Sibu St. Dominic's Church, Teku, Sibu St. Michael's Church, Sibu Jaya, Sibu St. James' Church, Mile 11, Sibu-Bintulu Road, Sibu St. Anthony's Church, Oya Camp, Sibu St. Joseph's Church, Durin, Sibu St. Anne's Church, Paradom/Tg. Kunyit, Sibu Mary Immaculate Church, Sg. Sadit/Nam Ping Chiong Estate, Sibu St. Peter's Church, Bukit Lan, Bawang Assan, Sibu St. Joseph's Mission Animation Centre, Sentosa, Sibu Sukun Catholic Centre, Lanang, Sibu St. Mary's Church, Passin, Sibu Sawai Catholic Church, Sawai, Passin, Sibu and St. Peter's Church, Pasai, Sibu St. Mary's of the Divine Mercy Parish, Jln. Awang Ramli Amit, Sibu Rector(s): The Very Rev. Msgr. Michael Lee Hock Chai (Vicar general) Assistant(s): Rev. Richard Lau See Nguong St. Teresa's Parish, Sg. Merah, Sibu Rector(s): Rev. David Ho Assistant(s): Rev. David Lau sub-parish of St. Teresa's Oratory, Sg. Merah, Sibu Sts. Peter and Paul's Parish, Mukah Rector: Rev. Alphonsus Tang Chung Tung (Chancellor) Assistant(s): Rev. Andrew Tan sub-parishes of St. Anthony's Church, Telian, Mukah St. Mary's Church, Balingian, Mukah Our Lady of Fatima Church, Teh Labak, Mukah St. Francis Xavier's Church, Sau, Mukah Sacred Heart Church, Jebungan/Tegak, Mukah St. Joseph's Church, Sesok, Mukah St. Jude's Church, Petanak, Mukah and St. Thomas' Church, Teh/Tabo, Mukah St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Parish, Dalat Rector(s): Rev. Johanaz Ling Assistant(s): -- sub-parishes of St. Peter's Church, Medong, Dalat Our Lady of Fatima Church, Ud, Dalat St. Francis Xavier's Church, Bungan Kecil, Dalat St. Victoria's Church, Bungan Besar, Dalat St. Nicholas' Church, Kut, Dalat St. James' Church, Kekan, Dalat St. John the Baptist's Church, Klid, Dalat St. Theresa's Church, Kebuaw Hilir, Dalat St. Plechelmus' Church, Tanam, Dalat St. Vincent's Church, Rassau, Dalat and St. Luke's Church, Baoh, Dalat St. Charles Borromeo's Parish, Selangau Rector(s): Rev. Michael Mandagiri, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from India) Assistant(s): Rev. Wilson Karugaba, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from Uganda) Sub-parishes of the Church of Mother Mary of Eucharist, Tamin and St. Gerard's Church, Sekuau
Christ the King Parish, Bintangor Rector(s) : Rev. Fabian Kong Assistant(s): Rev. Ivan Fang, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from Brunei) St. Francis Xavier's Parish, Kanowit Rector(s): Rev. George Omuto, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from Kenya) Assistant(s): Rev. Ravi Pulagam, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from India) sub-parishes of St. Andrian Church, Nanga Tada, Kanowit St. Mary Church, Jagoi, Kanowit St. Theresa Church, Nanga Lipus, Kanowit Chapel of the Sacred Heart, Nanga Bawan, Kanowit St. Leo Church, Nanga Ngungun, Kanowit St. Gerald Church, Nanga Jagau, Kanowit St. Sebastian Church, Machan, Kanowit St. Paul Church, Tuah, Kanowit and St. Vincent de Paul Church, Majau, Kanowit St. Herbert's Parish, Song Rector(s): Rev. Philip Hu Siew Huat Assistant(s): -- St. Alphonsus Liguori's Parish, Julau Rector(s): Rev. Michael Calopez Gemanga, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from the Philippines) Assistant(s): -- sub-parishes of St. Patrick, Entabai, Julau and St. Peter, Nanga Linggah, Julau Mary Immaculate Conception Parish, Kapit Rector(s): Rev. Forbi Blaise Manjong, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from Cameroon) Assistant(s): Rev. Olivier Lomboto, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from the Democratic Republic of the Congo) sub-parishes of St. Anthony, Nanga Merit, Kapit and St. Joseph, Manok Manchal, Nanga Yong, Kapit
St. Anthony's Parish, Sarikei Rector(s): Rev. Simon Lau Assistant(s): Rev. James Ting Sing Hung sub-parishes of St. Francis of Assisi, Pakan, Sarikei St. Matthew the Apostle, Engkamop, Sarikei St. Mary Magdalene, Dayu, Sarikei St. Patrick, Beruru, Sarikei St. Joseph, Ulu Kota, Sarikei and St. Andrew, Sare, Sarikei
Religious Orders Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) Order of Friars Minor (OFM)