Roman Catholic Diocese of Sibu
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Diocese of Sibu Dioecesis Sibuensis Keuskupan Sibu |
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Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sibu
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| Location | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Ecclesiastical province | Kuching |
| Metropolitan | Kuching |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 41,484 km2 (16,017 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2012) 800,000 110,853 (13.9%) |
| Parishes | 12 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin |
| Established | 22 December 1986 |
| Cathedral |
Sacred Heart Cathedral Sibu |
| Secular priests | 25 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Joseph Hii Teck Kwong |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng |
| Emeritus Bishops | Dominic Su Haw Chiu Bishop Emeritus (1987-2011) |
| Map | |
 The Diocese of Sibu covers the area which are the divisions of Sibu, Mukah, Sarikei and Kapit |
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| Website | |
| www |
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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sibu (Lat: Dioecesis Sibuensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Erected in 1986, from the Archdiocese of Kuching, the diocese remains a suffragan of its parent.
The first bishop was Dominic Su Haw Chiu, appointed in 1986, and requested for early retirement in December 2011 for health reasons. In 2008, due to growing number of Catholics in the diocese, the Pope (then Benedict XVI) appointed Msgr. Joseph Hii Teck Kwong as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Sibu. Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong is the current bishop of Sibu
The Sibu Catholic Mission started in 1899 when Fr. Cornelius Keet first arrived. A small hut was built for the priest to stay on his travels to Bintangor and Sari (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 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. 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 in 1908.
Fr. William van Odijk 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, aged 55.
Fr John Vos 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 in 1938. As the Sacred Heart School grew, priests like Fr. Thomas Delaney (1933–1937), Fr. William Wagenaar (1935–1938), Fr. Gerard Bruggeman (1937–1940), Fr. Francis Hulsbosch (1938–1939), Fr. John Dekker (1940–1942) were assigned to take up teaching posts. Besides school work they were also engaged in pastoral work.
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