In times past Dontozidon was a forested area where cattle were brought to graze and where children could play Tarzan swinging from tree to tree with the help of creepers hanging down from the trees. It was also an area where immigrants from Shantung Province in China settled down.
In the 1950s and 1960s some of the Mill Hill Missionaries who evangelised the area were Frs Gerard Preyde, Anthony Antonissen, Joseph Dapoz, Georg Lampe, Arnold Verhoeven and Willibrord Smit from St Michael Penampang; and Frs Tobias Chi and Aloysius Tung from Sacred Heart Church Karamunsing.
Since 1953 this area has become some sort of a “holy” site with the residence of Bishop James Buis (now Loreto Generalate), the novitiate of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (now Vianney Home – residence of Abp John Wong), and the Daughters of St Paul Convent (now the residence of Abp Emeritus John Lee) located there.
In 1967 when Fr Smit started to build a proper church in Dontozidon just below the convent of the Daughters of St Paul, the Sisters requested him to name it after St Paul the Apostle. The church was blessed and opened for service on Easter 1969.
Its fruitfulness is seen in the number of vocations it has given to the local Church: Sr Patricia Loo fsic (Kg Dontozidon), Sr Anne Marie Lojingau fsic (Kg Puludut), Sr Gerard Chong fsic (Kg Dontozidon), Sr Jacinta Majalang fsic (Kg Puluduk), Brother Tereso Marie CSE (Kg Koidupan).
Address: Mile 4.5 Jalan Penampang Lama,
P.O. Box 11580,
88817 Kota Kinabalu Sabah
Telefax: 088-714359
Pastors
Assistants: Fr Simon William, Fr. Russel Lawrine (1.9.2017), Fr. Terans Thadeus, Rev Isidore Gilbert*
PPC Chairperson: Mr. Hermes Sikajat (2023-2026)
Secretary : Venitha Lojuti (2023-2026)
Daily: 6:30 am (Eng)
Sun: 8:30am (KD)
Subparishes:
Our Lady Queen Of Peace (1989)
The church was blessed by Bishop John Lee on 12 Nov 1989. It is located at Kg Kobusak Penampang (next to the Ketua Kampung house). It accommodates around 350 faithful for Mass (Kadazan) on Sundays at 10:30 am and is under the pastoral administration of St Paul Dontozidon. Its feast day is on August 22, Queenship of Mary (decided by Abp Wong in 2016).
Address: Jalan Kobusak, Nosoob Penampang
PCC Chairperson: Ms Rita Mojilis
Masses available:
Sun: 10:30am (KD)
Vocations
Sr Patricia Loo fsic (Kg Dontozidon, professed 1957))+
Sr Jacinta Majalang fsic (Kg Puluduk, professed 1959)
Sr Gerard Chong fsic (Kg Dontozidon, professed 1965)
Sr Cabrini Mobilik fsic (Kg Nosoob, professed 1968)
Sr Anne Marie Lojingau fsic (Kg Puludut, professed 1969)
Br Justin Mobilik fsc (Kg Nosoob, professed 1972)
Sr Grace Deosing fsic (professed 1978)
Sr Dorothy Aron fsic (Kg Kobusak-Nosoob, professed 1989)
Fr Johnny Raju (Kg Nosoob Baru, ordained 2002)
Br Tereso Marie cse (Kg Koiupan)
+ deceased
St John the Baptist Kopungit (1984)
The chapel was blessed by Msgr Primus Jouil on 18 Oct 1984. It is located on top of a hill at Kg Kopungit Penampang with an estimated population of 400. It accommodates around 100-150 faithful for Mass (Kadazan or BM) on Sundays at 10:45 am and is under the pastoral administration of St Paul Dontozidon. Its feast day is on August 24, Birth of St John the Baptist. It became a church on 1 Oct 2014 with inaugural Mass on 30 Nov 2014 presided by Archbishop John Wong.
Address: Kg Kopungit
Catechists: John Ansim, John Francis
Masses available:
Sun: 10:45 am (KD or BM)
Vocation
Fr Mitchelly Kiun (ordained 26.02.2014)