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Roman Catholic Diocese of Miri

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Diocese of Miri

Dioecesis Miriensis

Keuskupan Miri
美里教区
Front View of St Joseph's Cathedral Miri in 2003
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Miri
Coat of arms
Location
CountryMalaysia
Ecclesiastical provinceKuching
MetropolitanKuching
Statistics
Area66,135 km2 (25,535 sq mi)[a]
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2021)
  • 113,382[a] (12.9%)
Parishes15[a]
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established1959; 66 years ago (1959)[1]
CathedralSt Joseph's Cathedral, Miri
Patron saintSaint Joseph
Language
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
BishopRichard Ng
Metropolitan ArchbishopSimon Peter Poh Hoon Seng
Vicar GeneralJoseph Ding
Episcopal VicarsFrancis Kuleh Usat
Bishops emeritusAnthony Lee Kok Hin
Website
www.miridiocese.org[dead link]

The Diocese of Miri (Latin: Dioecesis Mirensis; Malay: Keuskupan Miri; Mandarin: 美里教区) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Malaysia. Situated northeast of the Archdiocese of Kuching, of which it is a suffragan diocese. St. Joseph's Cathedral in Miri serves as both the diocesan cathedral and the seat of bishop. The diocese covers Miri, Bintulu, Limbang, Lawas, Tatau and Marudi.

In 1959, when the Vicariate was established, Anthony Denis Galvin, a Mill Hill priest, was appointed as the Apostolic Vicar (later bishop) until his sudden death in 5 September 1976. Anthony Lee Kok Hin, a local priest from Miri, become the first local bishop of Miri in 30 May 1977. In 2013, following his resignation, Pope Francis elected Rev. Fr. Richard Ng, a Kuching-born priest, as his successor and he was installed as the second bishop of this diocese in 2014.

History

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Originally erected in 1959, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Miri, the diocese was formed from the Vicariate of Kuching.

The present Catholic community in the country finds its roots in the ministry of the Missionary Society of St. Joseph (Mill Hill Missionaries) They started schools all throughout Miri, starting with Good Shepherd School, at Claude Town (or present day Marudi).

After the Vicariate of Miri was established and, in the following year, Father Anthony D. Galvin (who was a Mill Hill Father himself) was consecrated the first bishop of the Miri Vicariate. He was ordained by Pope John XXIII in Rome on 5 April 1960.

Pope Paul VI then established a new Church province in East Malaysia on 31 May 1976, and Miri Vicariate was raised to the level of a Diocese, with bishop Galvin as its first bishop.

On 20 May 1977, following the death of bishop Galvin, Father Anthony Lee was elected as the second bishop of Miri, a local of Miri, and he was ordained bishop in St. Joseph's Cathedral. Alongside with the Diocese of Sibu (established in 1986), the diocese is currently a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Kuching. On 11 November 1997, it lost its territory to the North of it (Brunei), to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Brunei. (Currently the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei)

In accordance with the Code of Canon Law, Pope Francis accepted the Lee's resignation on 30 October 2013 and appointed Father Richard Ng from the Archdiocese of Kuching to succeed him. Ng was ordained and installed as the second bishop of the Diocese on 25 January 2014, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

Ordinaries

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No. Portrait Name From Until
1 Anthony Denis Galvin, MHM
(1919-1976)
5 April 1960 5 September 1976
(Died)
2 Anthony Lee Kok Hin
(born 1935)
2 January 1966
(Ordained priest)
30 May 1977
(Bishop)
30 October 2013
(Resigned)
3 Richard Ng
(born 1966)
25 January 2014 Present

Priests

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  • Msgr. Joseph Ding (Vicar general)
  • Rev. Francis Kuleh Usat (Vicar general emeritus)
  • Rev. Gabriel Chiong
  • Rev. Justin Dan
  • Rev. Sylvester Ding Ibau
  • Rev. Philip Empalah
  • Rev. Peter Hwang Yiek Siong
  • Rev. Damian Lalo
  • Rev. Andy Lee
  • Rev. Johnny Francis Ho Fung Fei
  • Rev. Peter Mering
  • Rev. Michael Sia
  • Rev. Vincent Shim
  • Rev. Sylvester Ngau Juk
  • Rev. Martin Vincent Sta
  • Rev. Henry Saleh
  • Rev. Ronald Jimmy
  • Rev. Kevin Chundi
  • Rev. Robert Radin
  • Rev. Robert Muyang
  • Rev. Nelson Zang Kum, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from South Sudan)
  • Rev. John Ciril, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from India)
  • Rev. John McAulay, MHM (Mill Hill missionary from the United Kingdom)

Religious communities

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Parishes

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  • Miri zone
    • St. Joseph's Cathedral, Miri
    • Church of Mater Dei, Lutong, Miri
    • Church of St. Dominic and the Rosary, Taman Tunku, Miri
    • Church of St. Michael the Archangel, Batu Niah, Miri
    • Church of Holy Family, Lapok, Miri (formerly Church of Lord Jesus, Lapok)
    • Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Tudan, Miri (2020)
    • Church of The Holy Spirit, Permyjaya, Miri (2025)
  • Limbang zone
    • Church of St. Edmund, Limbang
  • Bintulu zone
    • Church of St. Anthony, Bintulu
    • Church of St. Peter, Tatau
    • Church of St. Francis Xavier, Belaga
  • Baram zone
    • Church of Blessed Sacrament, Long Lama
    • Church of Holy Cross, Sungai Asap
    • Church of Good Shepherd, Marudi
    • Church of St. Paul, Long San

Missionary schools

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Primary

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  • SK St Joseph, Miri
  • SK Good Shepherd, Marudi
  • SK St Anthony, Bintulu
  • SK St Edmund, Limbang

Secondary

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  • SMK St Joseph, Miri

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Diocese of Miri". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
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