Roman Catholic Diocese of Miri
Diocese of Miri Dioecesis Miriensis Keuskupan Miri 美里教区 | |
|---|---|
 Front View of St Joseph's Cathedral Miri in 2003 | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Ecclesiastical province | Kuching |
| Metropolitan | Kuching |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 66,135 km2 (25,535 sq mi)[a] |
Population
|
|
| Parishes | 15[a] |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 1959[1] |
| Cathedral | St Joseph's Cathedral, Miri |
| Patron saint | Saint Joseph |
| Language | |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | Richard Ng |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Simon Peter Poh Hoon Seng |
| Vicar General | Joseph Ding |
| Episcopal Vicars | Francis Kuleh Usat |
| Bishops emeritus | Anthony Lee Kok Hin |
| Website | |
| www | |
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
[edit]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
[edit]| 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]- Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM)
- Claretians (CMF)
Parishes
[edit]- 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
[edit]Primary
[edit]- SK St Joseph, Miri
- SK Good Shepherd, Marudi
- SK St Anthony, Bintulu
- SK St Edmund, Limbang
Secondary
[edit]- SMK St Joseph, Miri
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d Annuario Pontificio (2022) via Catholic-Hierarchy.org[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Diocese of Miri". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.