Joint Day of Recollection: The Journey of the Catholic Church

By Ivy Chai

KUCHING — The Archdiocese of Kuching held its annual Joint Day of Recollection (JDR) on 25 August 2026 at the ACCPC Grand Hall, attended by over 600 clergy, religious and lay faithful. The day began with Holy Mass and Veneration of the MPC2026 Salib, followed by the welcome speech from APC chairman David Disam.

The journey of the Catholic Church today
Archbishop Simon Poh reflected on the journey of the Catholic Church in Kuching, tracing its roots to the arrival of the Mill Hill Missionaries in Sarawak in 1881. Their missionary work helped build the Catholic faith and led to the establishment of the Archdiocese of Kuching in 1976. This year is the 50th Golden Jubilee of the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Simon said the mission statement, “We are the Church, Disciples of the Word, in Communion for Mission,” brings together the pastoral visions of Kuching’s three Archbishops, past and present, and calls bishops, priests, religious, and laity to unite in active evangelisation.

The Synod on Synodality, held from 2021 to 2024, has paved the way for implementing the Spirit of the Synod from 2025 to 2028, leading up to the Final Ecclesial Synod Assembly at the Vatican in Rome in October 2028.

“You will see greater things” (John 1:50)
At the recent 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) in Jakarta, Indonesia, more than 120 bishops from across Asia, together with representatives of the Holy See, theologians, religious, and lay collaborators, spent a week in prayer, discernment, and dialogue on the future of the Church in Asia. The assembly focused on the theme, “The Call to Synodal Conversion and the Mission to Be Bridges and Bridge-Builders in Asia,” and drew scriptural inspiration from John 1:50 “You will see greater things.”

Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026 (MPC2026)
For the first time since Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963, Catholics from Sarawak, Sabah and Semenanjung will gather as one Malaysian Church in Sibu from 9–13 September 2026 to pray, discern, and respond to the pastoral realities and challenges facing the Church today.

MPC2026 marks the culmination of a 10-year synodal journey for the Malaysian Church which began after PMPC IV in 2016. Having listened, discerned, and gathered input, reports, and feedback from parishes across the Arch/dioceses and from the Regional Pastoral Assemblies in Sarawak, Sabah, and Semenanjung, Malaysian Catholics now seek a shared way forward as one Malaysian Catholic Church.

Perjalanan SALIB
The Perjalanan SALIB was launched at the Malaysian Catholic Youth Day (MCYD 2025) in Kota Kinabalu in April 2025. Nine crosses (salibs) then began an 18-month pilgrimage through the Arch/dioceses of Sarawak, Sabah, and Semenanjung. The journey aimed to reach remote villages and estates, engaging grassroots communities in parishes across the country.

At MPC2026 in Sibu, the nine crosses will have completed their nationwide pilgrimage, carrying the thanksgiving, joys, sorrows, challenges, and hopes of the faithful to the first Malaysia Pastoral Convention. Having travelled throughout Malaysia during the Perjalanan SALIB, the crosses will be reassembled as ONE Cross, symbolising the unity of ONE Malaysian Church.

Archdiocese celebrates 50th Anniversary (1976-2026)
Building on Archbishop Simon’s reflection on the journey of the Catholic Church, Perpetua Phang, Chairperson of the Archdiocesan 50th Anniversary Planning Team, shared the story of the Archdiocese of Kuching.

She outlined its development from a mission station in 1881 to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1976. The Archdiocese celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Archbishop Emeritus Peter Chung served as the first Archbishop until his retirement in 2003. He was succeeded by Archbishop Emeritus John Ha, who retired in 2017. Archbishop Simon Poh is the current Archbishop.

Perpetua also presented the Archdiocese’s journey from 1976 to 2026, explaining the five-year celebration planned for its 50th Anniversary. The celebration will focus on Grace, Gratitude, Growth, Gather and Glory, beginning with Grace this year (2026) – an act of thanksgiving for 50 years of God’s grace, and culminating in 2030 with Glory, centred on the Eucharist and the mission to proclaim the Gospel. The celebrations aim to involve everyone, from leaders to grassroots communities, in becoming Rooted in Christ. Grow in Faith. Live in Gratitude.

Delegates then formed small groups to reflect on the subject of “Trust, Humility and encountering Christ Together” and “Pastoral Priorities for those in Need.” Selected groups were later invited to share their discernment through the synodal process of “Conversation in the Spirit.”
The Archdiocese of Kuching Joint Day of Recollection 2026 ended with a late fellowship lunch.