By Michael Guntili
May 6 2022
INANAM – The parishioners of St Catherine Church organized a birthday celebration for its rector, Fr David Sham who turned 70 on May 5.
The joyous event was held earlier on May 1 in conjunction with Labour Day to enable more parishioners to make it since it was a public holiday.
The strategy paid off when St Catherine Hall almost filled up to its full capacity with parishioners from the various chapels joining the celebration in a show of appreciation for their energetic rector.
Present at the celebration were parish assistant priests, Fr Mattheus Luta and Fr Mitchelly Kiun, and Deacon Sylvester Wong who will be ordained priest next month.
Fr David has been serving the parishes of St Catherine Inanam and Holy Family Telipok, as well as the sub-parish of Good Shepherd Manggatal since January 2007.
In the span of these 15 years, Fr David has initiated several development programs for the good of the parishioners. He is instrumental for the construction of the new St Catherine Primary School and the upgrading works of the church and its hall, as well as its compound to reduce the impact of flooding.
Besides upgrading St Catherine Church, Fr David is also instrumental in the construction of several new outstation chapels, as well as the Catholic Church of Divine Mercy, Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, which is expected to be elevated to parish status in the near future.
