After the phenomenal growth and developement of the Church in the 50s and 60s, there came what seemed a tragic set back in the early 70s but which now seems a blessing in disguise. The young Church in Sabah started experiencing the pain of losing many of her foreign missionaries under the immigration policy of the Government. With tearful eyes the faithful watched helplessly their pastors, the Mill Hill Fathers, ordered one after another to leave Sabah. Many parishes all of a sudden became vacant and the number of clergy dropped drastically from 60 to 16! The Mill Hill Sisters too had to leave their many schools in the hands of the local Sisters. The Daughters of St. Paul also had to leave their newly established convent and to move to Kuala Lumpur. But with this frightful experience the local Church was taught to stand on her own feet. It was not easy but it was proved necessary and beneficial. Then all the parishes set up their parish councils. Our Blue Sisters, besides taking over some of the schools the Mill Hill Sisters left them, moved into many parishes where there were no resident priests. The umbrella organisation called the Pastoral Council of the Catholic Church in Sabah or PAX was inaugurated in April, 1971. Women and youth also organised themselves into Women's Leagues and Youth Councils to play their role in the Church. Many young men and women sensed the call of God to serve and joined the Seminary and religious communities. It was during this difficult time of suffering that Rev. Father Peter Chung from Sarawak was appointed "Co-adjutor" to the wearied and aging Bishop James Buis. He was ordained Bishop in the Pro-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Kota Kinabalu on 14 November, 1971. He succeeded Bishop Buis as the Vicar Apostolic on 1st August, 1972. He administered the Vicarate most efficiently in most difficult times for the Church until he was transfered to Kuching as Archbishop on 17th February, 1975.

His successor, the late Rt. Rev. Simon Fung, was our first local bishop and the first Bishop of the newly constituted Diocese of Kota Kinabalu. He was ordained "Titular" Bishop of "Catabum Castra" on 15th November, 1975 and appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kota Kinabalu. Then, on 25th July - feast of the Sacred Heart - 1976 the Vicarate of Kota Kinabalu was raised to the dignity of a Diocese and on 19th May, 1977 - feast of Ascension - the Diocese officially celebrated Diocesan status and Bishop Fung was installed as the first Bishop.

Our present Bishop the Rt. Rev. John Lee is only the second local Bishop. He was born in Kota Kinabalu on 5th October, 1933 and grew up in a house which is just a stone's throw away from the Sacred Heart Cathedral. John Lee was ordained to the priesthood on 27th December, 1964 and succeed the Late Simon Fung as Bishop of the Kota Kinabalu Diocese on 26th June, 1987.

By

Rev. Fr. Tobias Chi

Former Rector of Sacred Heart Parish
and Vicar General of Kota Kinabalu Diocese 1977 - 1985

From the Souvenir Magazine of the Dedication of the Sacred Heart Cathedral (1981)