Keningau Diocese marks silver jubilee with several activities

KENINGAU –  The culmination of the Keningau Diocesan Silver Jubilee will be the Eucharistic celebration on Sat 5 May 2018, to “honour and express our gratitude to God who is always present, guiding and protecting us in our journey together as His people,” according to Bishop Cornelius Piong.

In his pastoral letter dated 28 Aug 2017,  the bishop invites the priests, religious and the lay people to carry out a leadership of service and responsibility based on Jesus’ own hope and prayer in preparation for the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of Keningau Diocese.

There was a three-year preparation in anticipation towards the Silver Jubilee — Family and Children (2015), Family and Youth (2016) and Family, Parents and senior citizens (2017).

Among the significant activities carried out were:

—  The opening and inauguration of the Holy Family Pilgrim Centre Nulu Sosopon on 4 June 2016.

“In meditating on how we walk together in Jesus Christ, hoping we can become faithful, committed and effective communities of God in serving the kingdom of God, I feel that we need to build a pilgrimage centre that expresses our gratitude to God and as a reminder that families play an important role in developing our community” (Bishop Cornelius, 3 June  2016).

“We have placed the monument of Msgr August Wachter, MHM, representing our early Missionaries in Nulu Sosopon who brought the Good Shepherd of God to us. The statue of the Holy Family is the icon that promotes the family to remain united and obedient to Christ and the Holy Cross of His Cross” ( Bishop Cornelius, 3 June 2016).

— The Reparation Day on 15 September 2017, was in conjunction with the feast of Our Lady Queen of Sorrows. The day was filled with fasting, prayer and Holy Mass.

— The pilgrimage of the statue of Mother Mary and the Icon of the Holy Family travelled to all the parishes in Keningau Diocese for 30 days. This is a reminder for the families in the community to intensify their devotion to Mother Mary and the Holy Family.

During the Ad Limina visit of the Catholic Bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei on 4-9 Feb 2018, Bishop Cornelius had also requested prayers from Pope Francis for the preparation and implementation of the Silver Jubilee.

“I have conveyed the salutation of the priests, religious and laity, God’s people in the Keningau Diocese, who have been walking together with Jesus Christ based on the Pastoral Theme “Christ-centred family worshipping God to strengthen Faith and social responsibility”(Bishop Cornelius Piong, 4 March 2018).

Before the culmination of the jubilee celebration, three other events were held:

1. Diocesan level for Gong Beating Competition (April 21)
2. Cooking contest among the priests (April 23)
3. Silver Jubilee Concert (April 29). – Herald Malaysia, 28 Apr 2018