by Evelyn Jock
St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sandakan set aside 21 August 2022 to commemorate and celebrate its 139 years anniversary. St. Mary’s was founded in 1883 by the Mill Hill Missionary Priests and is one of the oldest church in Sandakan. What started as a ‘kajang’ hut built by the Mill Hill missionaries in 1883 has now mushroomed and given rise to the St. Mary’s Cathedral, the St. Mary’s schools (primary and secondary), the St. Mary’s Convent, St. Cecilia Secondary School, St Joseph’s Church, St. Mark’s Church and St. Peter’s Chapel, Sg. Manila, 139 years later.
Some spiritual activities were held prior to the celebration of the feast day. It started with a 9-day Rosary Novena and Mass from 6-14 August, involving all the various ministries and groups of the Church. These various ministries include the multi ethnic congregation from St. Mark’s Church, St. Peter’s Chapel, Sungai Manila and St. Mary’s Cathedral. 13 August was a day that saw the various ministries doing the rosary recitation whilst ascending the pilgrimage site, Marian Hill. From 7am to 3 pm, each group climbed up the hill guided by the Marian Mount Volunteers, and from 3 pm to 5 pm, rosary was recited in the Cathedral and Sunset Mass followed from there.
15 August saw the celebration of the Solemnity of the Feast of the Assumption which started with the rosary recitation at the Diocesan Centre ground, crowning of the statue of Mother Mary and a procession to the Marian grotto where holy mass was celebrated in the open air.
Finally the whole week’s celebration culminated with the Parish Feast Day celebration on 21 August. The day started with holy mass at 8:00 am with the Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia community coming together in a combined mass. At the same time, the Parish Hall was being readied for the main celebration which saw the congregation of St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Mark’s Church, St, Joseph’s Church and St. Peter’s Chapel, Sg. Manila gathered there. As the Sunday mass ends at 10:00 am that morning, the masses started to gather at the Parish Hall, and their numbers were totally unexpected. This year’s celebration witnessed the participation of all ministries, communities and groups bringing in different dishes and gifts for the potluck fellowship and lucky draw game of luck. The crowd that morning was about 600-700 people.
The more than 2 years that we were plagued by Covid-19 coupled with the Movement Control Order and lock downs has not dampened the celebration of the church. The theme, ‘Towards being a more synodal church’ indicates a parish that is determined to be a parish that will always reach out, walk together and listen to its people in line with the vision and mission of the diocese. The parish realises that the formation of the parish ministry leaders are important in order to lead and inspire other parishioners to engage in church activities and making the Eucharist as the source and pinnacle of life. With this and the grace of God, the church community will truly be a synodal community and the Vision & Mission of the Sandakan Diocese will surely be achieved. The parish communities are invited to be more opened and receptive to all the programs that will be implemented in the parish for the common good of everyone and hence the development of faith.
Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom of the Sandakan Diocese, at the morning mass that day, highlighted a church that is Synodal. He encouraged the congregation to join ministries or communities because we are God’s people. We should not only gather at mass on Sundays for the Eucharist, but to come together, work and journey together to grow in our faith. He continued to explain that God will not recognise us if there is no efforts on our part towards the building of our faith and grow in our relationship with God.
Leaders from every ministry, BEC, committee, families, youth and the elderly all came together in solidarity to support the 139th Parish Feast Day and the celebration was the merriest ever. The event was made livelier with performances from the local communities and the lucky draw supported with attractive gifts coming from generous sponsors and the Basic Ecclesial Communities, who were happy to contribute and make the event a success. The people stayed till the event ended at 3pm. Happy 139th Anniversary, St. Mary’s Cathedral.
