SIBU – St Teresa Church in Sungai Merah has begun a year-long centenary celebration, marking 100 years of the Catholic community’s history with a thanksgiving Mass and a programme of activities scheduled to continue until October 2027.
The centenary was officially launched on 1 October 2026, coinciding with the Feast of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the church’s patron saint.
The celebration began at 7.30pm with a short procession led by a statue of St Thérèse. Parishioners accompanied the procession while praying the Holy Rosary before gathering for the Eucharistic celebration.
Bishop Joseph Hii presided over the Mass, which was concelebrated by priests from the Diocese of Sibu.
In his homily, Bishop Hii highlighted the historical connection between St Thérèse and the early missionary development of the Catholic community in Sungai Merah.
St Thérèse died in 1897 and was canonised in 1925. During the early years of Catholic mission in Sibu, Mill Hill missionary Father Vincent Halder placed the young Catholic community under her patronage.
Although St Thérèse never travelled to a mission field, she became closely associated with missionary work through her emphasis on prayer, sacrifice and offering everyday life in service of spreading Christ’s love.
Bishop Hii recalled St Thérèse’s understanding of her vocation with the words, “My vocation is love!”
He also reflected on her well-known “Little Way”, which presents holiness as something that can be pursued through ordinary actions carried out with love rather than through achievements that appear extraordinary.
The bishop encouraged the community to apply that approach in its own life of faith, saying, “May we emulate her Little Way, doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way – with love.”
The message formed part of the wider significance attached to the centenary celebration, which looks beyond commemorating the church’s history.
The year-long observance is intended to provide an opportunity for the community to reflect on the missionary spirit associated with its beginnings and consider how that tradition can continue among future generations.
The launch Mass brought together clergy and parishioners from St Teresa Church, along with representatives from neighbouring Catholic communities.
Among the communities represented were St Teresa Oratory and St Dominic, adding a wider diocesan dimension to the opening of the centenary year.
The centenary programme will continue with activities throughout the coming year, with the celebration scheduled to culminate in October 2027.
For the parish community, the milestone provides an opportunity to recognise the generations of Catholics who have contributed to the development of the church and its religious life in Sungai Merah.
It also places the church’s history within the broader development of Catholic missionary activity in the Sibu area, where early missionary communities established foundations that continued through successive generations.
The association with St Thérèse remains central to the centenary theme, particularly her emphasis on love, prayer and faithfulness in everyday life.
As the celebration moves into its second century, the parish is using the anniversary not only to remember its past but also to reflect on its continuing religious and community role.
The year-long programme will provide the setting for further gatherings and activities before the centenary concludes in October 2027, when the community will mark a century of its journey of faith in Sungai Merah. – Sarawak Daily
