Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu


The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu is a Metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sabah, a state of Malaysia on the island of Borneo.
The Archdiocese is the oldest ecclesiastical territory in Malaysia, with a long history slowly rising along with the Catholic population all the way from a prefecture to an Archdiocese with 2 suffragans, the Diocese of Keningau and the Diocese of Sandakan.
Its Cathedral archepiscopal see is Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu.

History

Originally erected on 4 September 1855 as the Apostolic prefecture of Labuan and Borneo, created on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia .
On 5 February 1927 it was renamed the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Borneo, and lost territory to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Sarawak.
On 14 February 1952 the prefecture was promoted to Apostolic Vicariate of Jesselton, hence entitled to a titular bishop. On 22 March 1962 its name was changed once more to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kota Kinabalu, after its see.
On 31 May 1976 the vicariate was elevated to a full Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching.
The diocese lost territories twice, to create its present suffragans :
On 23 May 2008, the diocese was elevated to Metropolitan Archdiocese, whose ecclesiastical province comprises the above suffragan dioceses, both formerly part of the original territory of the diocese of Kota Kinabalu: the Diocese of Keningau and the Diocese of Sandakan.
On 21 June 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Rev. John Wong Soo Kau, director of the aspirants’ formation house in Kota Kinabalu, as Coadjutor Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu. His ordination took place on 1 October 2010.
the Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu is Most Rev. Datuk John Wong Soo Kau, appointed in 2010. His predecessor was Most Rev. Datuk John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw, appointed in 1987 and retired on 1 December 2012.

Prelates

Apostolic Prefects of Labuan and Borneo

As of 2018, there are 19 parishes including various sub-parishes and 305 Outstations found in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu.

Religious Men

Publications