Kuching seminary expansion a ´sign of hope´

Kuching archdiocese’s major seminary has opened new facilities to accommodate an increase in vocations and in anticipation of more to come.

Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino opens the new wing of St. Peter´s College. Behind him is Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the Bangkok-based apostolic delegate to Malaysia

St. Peter’s College now has new buildings that include 30 additional rooms.

The extension was necessary to meet the needs of 31 seminarians from East Malaysia and one from peninsular Malaysia, as well as an anticipated increase in the number of seminarians, said seminary rector Father Richard Ng.

The seminary has so far produced about 70 priests and two bishops — Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom of Sandakan and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong of Sibu. It has three full-time formators and more than a dozen teaching staff.

Visiting Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino during a June 15 Mass to bless the seminary extension, said, “The expansion of this seminary is a sign of hope.”

The president of the Vatican-based Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace was apostolic delegate to Malaysia from 1980-1986. The cardinal had blessed and opened the students’ block in 1986.

The seminary itself was established in 1980.

“I was a strong advocate for the building of this seminary and I am delighted to see its expansion, which indicates that vocations to the priesthood are increasing, and that, ultimately, the Gospel is being proclaimed to more and more people,” Cardinal Martino said during Mass.

After three years of construction, the seminary has a bigger library, larger kitchen and dining areas, an IT/computer area and staff quarters.

The seminary serves six dioceses in the eastern states of Sarawak and Sabah out of the total nine dioceses in Malaysia.

Joining the opening celebration were Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the current Bangkok-based apostolic delegate to Malaysia; Archbishop John Ha Tiong Hock of Kuching; retired Archbishop Peter Chung of Kuching; Bishop Cornelius Piong of Keningau, Bishop Dominic Su of Sibu and Bishop Hii.

The next day, Cardinal Martino celebrated Mass at Kuching’s St. Joseph’s Cathedral, after which he spoke on the “Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church” which he said “proclaims charity as the very essence of God.”

He said the Church’s “social doctrine is located wholly within and not at the margins of the Christian proclamation that God is love.”

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace issued the compendium in 2004. It gives a concise and complete overview of the Church´s social teaching.

Meanwhile, the seminary organized a refresher course for its alumni June 16-26. The first part of the course covered various aspects of Islam, the dominant religion in Malaysia. The second part saw clergy sharing their experiences in their ministries. Based on these sharings, a pastoral plan was drawn up.

Michael So from Taiwan, secretary of SIGNIS Asia, a Catholic association for professionals involved in audiovisuals, broadcasting and new media, also gave a two-day session on the “Church and Internet.”