Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching

Archdiocese of Kuching

*Archidioecesis Kuchingensis*

Keuskupan Agung Kuching
Archdiocese of Kuching; Archidioecesis Kuchingensis; Keuskupan Agung Kuching
	St Joseph Cathedral, Kuching
Location
Country	Malaysia
Territory	Kuching, Bau, Serian and Sri Aman
Ecclesiastical province	Kuching
Statistics
Area	19,173 km2 (7,403 sq mi)
Population; - Total; - Catholics	(as of 2021); 812,900; 240,575 (38.2%)
Parishes	19
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	1976
Cathedral	St Joseph's Cathedral in Kuching
Patron saint	Saint Joseph
Language	Ecclesiastical Latin; Bidayuh language; English language; Iban language; Mandarin language; Malay language;
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop	Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng
Suffragans	Richard Ng; (Miri); Joseph Hii Teck Kwong; (Sibu)
Vicar General	William Sabang
Bishops emeritus	Dato John Ha Tiong Hock; Dato' Sri Peter Chung Hoan Ting
Website
	kuchingcatholic.org

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching (Latin: Archidioecesis Kuchingensis) is a Metropolitan Latin archbishopric of the Roman Catholic Church in Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo, however remains dependent on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is in St Joseph's Cathedral, in Kuching, Sarawak.

Former auxiliary bishop Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng was appointed Archbishop of Kuching by Pope Francis on 4 March 2017 following John Ha Tiong Hock's resignation.^[2]

Erected in 1927 by Pope Pius VI as an Apostolic Prefecture, Kuching was elevated to Metropolitan Archdiocese by Pope Paul VI in 1976 with the suffragan dioceses of Sibu and Miri.

History

It was erected it as the Apostolic Prefecture of Sarawak by Pope Pius XI on 5 February 1927, on territory split off from the Apostolic Prefecture of Labuan and Borneo.
It was promoted to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuching by Pope Pius XII on 14 February 1952.
Lost territory on 1959.12.19 to establish the Apostolic Vicariate of Miri (now its senior suffragan see of separated Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam and Diocese of Miri).
Pope Paul VI elevated it to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on 31 May 1976.
Lost territory on 1986.12.22 to establish the Diocese of Sibu as its second suffragan (by the installation of Dominic Su Haw Chiu as its first bishop).

Ecclesiastical Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own Archbishopric and the following suffragan sees, both daughter dioceses :

Bishops

The following are the lists of ordinaries (bishops of the diocese) and auxiliary bishops, and their terms of service. They are followed by other priest of this diocese who became bishop.^[3]

Apostolic Prefects of Sarawak

Edmund Dunn, MHM (1927–1935)
Aloysius Hopfgartner, MHM (1935–1949)
Jan Vos, MHM (Born in The Netherlands; 1949–1952); elevated to Apostolic Vicar

Apostolic Vicars of Sarawak

Jan Vos, MHM (1952–1968)
Charles Reiterer, MHM (1968–1974)
Dato' Sri Peter Chung Hoan Ting (1975–1976), elevated to Archbishop

Archbishops of Kuching

Dato' Sri Peter Chung Hoan Ting (1976–2003)
Dato John Ha Tiong Hock (2003–2017)
Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng (2017–present)

Former Auxiliary Bishops of Kuching

Dato John Ha Tiong Hock (1998–2003), appointed Archbishop of this diocese
Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng (2015–2017), appointed Archbishop of this diocese

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

Richard Ng, appointed Bishop of Miri in 2013

Ordained priests

Msgr. William Sabang
Rev. Fr. Adrian Kho
Rev. Fr. Aiden Peter Jr., OFM
Rev. Fr. Albert Jacobse, MHM
Rev. Fr. Alvin Ng, SJ
Rev. Fr. Arockyaraj Pavulu, CMF
Rev. Fr. Augustine Jepy
Rev. Fr. Bernard Jim Bujang
Rev. Fr. Berchmans Rayar, CMF
Rev. Fr. Christopher Laden
Rev. Fr. David Au, OFM
Rev. Fr. Davie Entalai
Rev. Fr. Don Don Romero Ramerez, OFM
Rev. Fr. Eugenio Gocela Maglasang, SDB
Rev. Fr. Felix Au
Rev. Fr. Galvin Richard Ngumbang
Rev. Fr. Henry Jimbey
Rev. Fr. Jerome Juleng
Rev. Fr. John Chong
Rev. Fr. Lazarus Swinie (on fidei donum in Miri)
Rev. Fr. John Ekly Direk
Rev. Fr. Joseph Chai
Rev. Fr. Joseph Lee, OFM
Rev. Fr. Joseph Liew
Rev. Fr. Joseph Ng, SJ
Rev. Fr. Larry Tan Cheong Kee, SJ
Rev. Fr. Leonard Yap
Rev. Fr. Lucas Ng, CDD
Rev. Fr. Mark Noel Bunchol
Rev. Fr. Martin Wong
Rev. Fr. Nicholas Ng
Rev. Fr. Patrick Heng
Rev. Fr. Paul Herry
Rev. Fr. Paul Hu Pi Xian, CDD
Rev. Fr. Paul Ling Keh Yiing
Rev. Fr. Peter Liston
Rev. Fr. Pratap Baskey, CMF
Rev. Fr. Prince Carneelyes Arockiam, CMF
Rev. Fr. Ramon Borja, SDB
Rev. Fr. Robert Jissem
Rev. Fr. Stanley Goh, SJ
Rev. Fr. Stephen Chin
Rev. Fr. Stephen Lim
Rev. Fr. Vincent Chin^[4]

Deceased priests

Rev. Fr. Terence Burke, MHM (1944 - 2017)
Rev. Fr. James Meehan, MHM (1933 - 2018)
Rev. Fr. Peter Aichner, MHM (1914 - 1995)
Rev. Fr. Leopold van Rooyen, MHM (1917 - 2008)
Rev. Fr. Joachim Pang (1921 - 2007)
Rev. Fr. Richard Khoo Choon Phoe (1940 - 2016)
Rev. Fr. Dato Lawrence Chua (1936 - 2021)^[5]
Rev. Fr. Michael O'Brien, MHM (1941 - 2022)
Rev. Fr. Noel Hanrahan, MHM (1928 - 2019)

Statistics and extent

As per 2021, it pastorally served 240,575 Catholics (38.2% of 812,900 total) on 19,173 km² in 12 parishes with 37 priests (26 diocesan, 11 religious), 82 lay religious (13 brothers, 69 sisters), 5 seminarians. There is a major seminary of St. Peter.

There are about 19 parishes and chapels administering outstations around the archdiocese.

Parishes

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Kuching (Priest in charge: Rev. Bernard Jim Bujang, Rev. Larry Tan Cheong Kee, SJ, Rev. Galvin Richard Ngumbang & Rev. Mark Noel Bunchol)
St. Peter's Church, Padungan (Priest in charge: Rev. Vincent Chin)
St. Ann's Church, Kota Padawan (Priest in charge: Rev. Don Don Romero Ramerez, OFM & Rev. David Au, OFM)
St Teresa's Church, Serian (Priest in charge: Rev. Leonard Yap, Rev. Arockyaraj Pavulu, CMF, Rev. Pratap Baskey, CMF & Rev. Robert Jissem)
St. Stephen's Church, Bau (Priest in charge: Rev. Peter Liston, Rev. Paul Herry & Rev. Augustine Jepy)
St. Jude's Church, Bunan Gega (Priest in charge: Rev. Berchmans Rayar, CMF, Rev. John Ekly Direk & Rev. Prince Carneelyes Arockiam, CMF)
Sacred Heart Church, Kota Sentosa (Priest in charge: Rev. Felix Au, Rev. Lucas Ng, CDD, Rev. Paul Hu, CDD & Rev. Stephen Chin)
Blessed Sacrament Church, BDC (Priest in charge: Rev. Patrick Heng)
Holy Spirit Church, Lundu (Priest in charge: Rev. Adrian Kho & Rev. Christopher Laden)
Holy Trinity Church, Kenyalang Park (Priest in charge: Rev. Joseph Liew & Rev. Eugenio Gocela Maglasang, SDB)
Chapel of Mother Mary, Stutong (Priest in charge: Msgr. William Sabang & Rev. Martin Wong)
Our Lady Queen of Peace, Sri Aman (Priest in charge: Rev. Jerome Juleng, Rev. Joseph Chai & Rev. Henry Jimbey)^[6]

Religious communities

Male

Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM)
Congregation of the Disciples of the Lord (CDD)
Marist Brothers (FMS)
Society of Jesus (SJ)
Claretians (CMF)
Order of Friars Minor (OFM)
Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB)

Female

Discalced Carmelites (OCD)
Franciscan Sisters^{[disambiguation needed]} (SSFS)

References

^ "The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching - Mass & Service schedules". Retrieved 29 June 2020.
^ "Pope appoints new head to Malaysian Archdiocese of Kuching". www.archivioradiovaticana.va.
^ http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/kuch0.htm GCatholic.org
^ The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching | Priests
^ The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching | Priests
^ The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching | Parishes

Sources and external links

1°33′03″N 110°20′31″E / 1.5508°N 110.3420°E / 1.5508; 110.3420

[1] "The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching - Mass & Service schedules". Retrieved 29 June 2020.

[2] "Pope appoints new head to Malaysian Archdiocese of Kuching". www.archivioradiovaticana.va.

[3] ttp://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/kuch0.htm GCatholic.org

[4] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching | Priests

[5] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching | Priests

[6] The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching | Parishes

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