Church leaders and lay representatives from across Sabah, Malaysia, convened for a landmark regional pastoral assembly to prepare for the 2026 Malaysia Pastoral Convention.
The three-day gathering, held at the Sacred Heart Cathedral hall in Kota Kinabalu in May, brought together around 600 delegates from the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, the Diocese of Keningau, and the Diocese of Sandakan.
According to Catholic Sabah, the assembly, which was conducted primarily in Bahasa Malaysia, was seen as a major step in the Church’s ongoing synodal journey.
It served as a platform for spiritual conversation, reflection, and discernment, ahead of the national convention scheduled for September 2026 in Johor that is expected to gather 700 participants from all nine dioceses in Malaysia.
Structured around small group discussions, the Sabah assembly aimed to foster communion and deeper understanding of the local Church’s mission and challenges.
Delegates were divided into 66 groups composed of clergy, religious, and lay leaders. Each session followed a process of personal reflection, group sharing, and synthesis, with facilitators and secretaries assigned to record the discussions.
Four rounds of spiritual conversation focused on different themes: the objectives of the pastoral gathering, the historical journey of each diocese, current pastoral realities, and the spiritual framework of synodality. The insights generated from these sessions were compiled into a nine-point pastoral mission declaration.
Among the key themes highlighted were the Church’s historical legacy as a foundation for mission, the importance of families and young people in evangelization, the active role of the laity in Church life, and the celebration of the sacraments as a source of vitality.
The declaration also emphasized synodality as a way of life, a Church rooted in prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit, and the need for ongoing conversion and social engagement.
The assembly concluded with a symbolic act of mission, as delegates from each diocese carried large wooden crosses in a gesture representing their shared commitment to continue the Church’s evangelizing mission.
Also present were priests and Church leaders from outside Sabah, including representatives from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and the Diocese of Penang.
