By Ivy Chai
SIBU — After months of preparation, the MPC2026 became a reality. About 900 delegates from all the nine Arch/Dioceses in Malaysia convened at Kingwood Hotel in Sibu for the 9-13 September 2026 convention. Of this number over 200 were clergy and religious.
Opening Mass at Sibu Gateway
Clear skies and a cool breeze welcomed delegates to the Sibu Gateway on 9 September. With a feeling of expectant joy and excitement, and miniature flags of Sarawak and Malaysia in their hands, participants rocked the Praise & Worship session.
Then the unexpected happened. At the Paraliturgy of the Cross when all the nine Salibs had been reassembled into one huge SALIB and Holy Water touched the SALIB, the skies opened and heavy raindrops caused everyone sitting in the open space to rush for cover…resulting in laity joining the clergy seated behind the altar for the Opening Mass, in the small dome-shaped shelter.
The reaction? No drama. Calm acceptance. No complaints about getting wet and walking the SALIB Procession to the hotel in the rain for the Veneration of the Cross. “It was God’s way to unite the people…clergy and laity as one people” was how some saw it. “Showers of blessings,” others quipped. Even Bishop Joseph Hii who had been confident it would not rain, called it “not a bad thing.”
Opening Ceremony at Kingwood Hotel
Opening the MPC2026 on 10 September, Minister of National Unity Dato Sri Aaron Ago Dagang urged Malaysians to go beyond tolerance by fostering understanding, respect, trust and cooperation across religious and cultural differences.
He said unity requires deliberate effort and cannot be achieved by the Government alone. “Diversity is what we inherit; unity is what we build,” he told delegates.
Celebrate, Listen, Walk
Over the next three days, delegates were given the opportunity to celebrate and share gifts, listen to the Holy Spirit and discern and walk with God in His time.
The first keynote address delivered by Archbishop Emeritus Dato John Ha centred on the topic, “How shall we decide and act together collectively as a Church of Malaysia?” To move beyond a “Church in Malaysia” to a “Church of Malaysia” requires Sabah, Sarawak and Semenanjung to discern together through the Holy Spirit, and act together … as one Church of Malaysia.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David from the Philippines spoke on “Family and Church Journeying Together in our Time”. Families need a Church that does more than observe their struggles from afar … one that listens to their stories, walks with them and recognises the faith already active in their lives. The familiar question was: “Why don’t these people come to Church?” The Cardinal said his diocese eventually realised it was asking the wrong question: Why was the Church waiting for people to come instead of going to them?
Political Scientist Bridget Walsh from Ireland spoke on “Our responsibility for Creation and Society Today”. Facing Malaysia’s challenging conditions today … where creation and society are evolving, the Church must expand its role of what she terms “building an ecology of responsibility”.
Through silent reflection and the synodal “Conversation in the Spirit” process after every talk, MPC2026 delegates were told on 12 September, pastoral pathways had been identified. These were the “fruits of the Spirit”.
After an open forum and all the Bishops had given their Pastoral Address, participants joined a Rosary Walk with the SALIB to the Missioning Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral, led by youth ministers and the young.
Missioning Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral – One Church, Diverse Cultures
To conclude the MPC2026, and to immortalise the spiritual journey of the SALIB for the last 18 months, organisers created a gimmick to preserve this historical event. A Time Capsule filled with symbols and messages of the community of today, for the community of the future, to only be opened at the next MPC, probably in 2036, was presented before the Missioning Mass, to Archbishop Simon Poh, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia.
Alongside the nine symbols and texts, the logos of Perjalanan SALIB, MPC2026, as well as a symbol of a Swan to represent the land of Sibu (Sibu is also known as the Swan City), was added to the time capsule. Archbishop Simon then sealed the time capsule into the base of the SALIB.
At the Missioning Mass, Cardinal Sebastian Francis told the congregation that Bishops are called to be guarantors of synodality. “The Holy Spirit is leading us to repentance, unity and reconciliation,” he said.
“We, the nine Bishops in obedience and under the Lordship of the Holy Spirit, call on all Catholics in Malaysia to enter the boat together with Christ the Lord, surrendering our families, society, Church and our ecological oneness with creation to the Holy Trinity and summon all of us to put out into the deep, and be ready to receive an abundant catch for the Church in Malaysia, for the Church in Asia, for the Universal Church.”
The Mass ended with Archbishop Julian Leow giving a vote of thanks to people responsible for the success of MPC2026, not forgetting the host diocese, Bishop Joseph Hii and his team.
