News by Mr Dalius Lobingang
Sandakan: The Diocese of Sandakan hosted the SHEP Partnership Day 2023 (Sabah – Heilbronn Ecumenical Partnership) after a disruption of five years of the Ecumenical program between the Heilbronn German and Sabah Chapter due to the recent pandemic.
This year the Catholic Church hosted the Sabah SHEP Partnership Day on 01st September 2023, which was held in the Sandakan Diocesan Pastoral Centre at 7.00pm with the attendance of around 50 church members from the Catholic, Basel and PCS Churches.
On hand to welcome the participants is Rev. Fr. Raymond Lee representing Bishop Julius who was in another important function in Keningau and staff of the diocesan office. In his warm welcoming speech Fr. Raymond quoted Matthew 28: 16-20, the “Great Commission” for the participants to reflect on. In his word of encouragement, he said “I believe Sabah-Heilbronn Ecumenical Partnership is a relationship willed by God. Let us continue to work together to build a stronger and closer relationship. Let us not focus on the differences, which may cause more pain and damage, but focus on our common mission. The mission will be a reason for us to continue searching for a stronger relationship”.
In his word of appreciation, Dr. Paul Porodong, Chairman of the Sabah SHEP Committee thanked the Catholic Church for their willingness to be the host in this year’s gathering. He commended the Sandakan SHEP committee headed by Raymond Wong for his hard work as this was the first time that the SHEP Partnership Day held in the eastern part of Sabah. He gave a brief history of the partnership on the objectives to promote awareness and better understanding of Ecumenism between the partner churches in Germany (Catholic Deanery of Heilbronn and the Evangelische Kirchenberzirk Heilbronn) and Sabah (The Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, Diocese of Sandakan and Keningau, The Basel Christian church of Malaysia and Protestant Church in Sabah).
The SHEP Partnership Day also saw the introduction of the 12 representatives from Sabah who will represent the Sabah Chapter in the exchange Ecumenical Visit to Heilbronn this year. They will be travelling for 2 weeks to Heilbronn Germany leaving on 23rd. September 2023. The Partnership Day concluded with the intercessory prayer conducted by the three participating churches and thereafter adjourned to a dinner fellowship.
When asked on how he feels to be one of the 12 members representing Sabah SHEP Partnership to Germany, Fr. Dafrinn Diwol from the Holy Trinity Church Tawau, shared that he is looking forward for this visit as this will be his first visit to the European soil. He said he hoped to obtain a first-hand experience of the Christian faith in Germany and hopes that this will help him in his ministry back home.