By Joseph Tek Choon Yee
There are shepherds who lead by thunder. And there are shepherds who lead by stillness.
Bishop Emeritus Dominic Su Haw Chiu belonged beautifully to the second kind. His was not a ministry of noise, display or self-importance. His was a ministry of quiet faith, gentle authority, prayerful endurance and deep pastoral presence.
Today, the Church in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia and beyond bows its head in sorrow and gratitude as Bishop Dominic Su, the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sibu, returns home to the Lord he served so faithfully.
Born in Sibu on May 29 1939, he was truly a son of Sarawak soil. His vocation took him from local beginnings to St Francis Xavier’s Minor Seminary in Singapore, then to College General in Penang, where generations of Malaysian priests were formed. He was ordained to the priesthood on Dec 4 1969 by Bishop Charles Reiterer, and later pursued Canon Law at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome from 1979 to 1981.
But dates and institutions tell only the outer story. The inner story was one of surrender.
When Pope John Paul II appointed him the first Bishop of Sibu on Dec 22 1986, Bishop Dominic was called to shepherd not merely a diocese, but a young local Church still finding its shape, rhythm and confidence. He was consecrated bishop by Pope John Paul II at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Jan 6 1987, and installed in Sibu on Feb 11 1987.
To be the first bishop of a diocese is no small calling. It is to arrive when foundations are still fresh. It is to build not only buildings, but belonging. It is to organise not only structures, but souls. It is to shepherd priests, religious and laity into a shared sense of mission. It is to help a local Church say, with quiet confidence: we are here, we are one, and we belong to Christ.
Bishop Dominic carried that responsibility with grace.
For nearly twenty-five years, from 1987 until his retirement on Dec 24 2011, he shepherded the Diocese of Sibu through its formative years. He served until Bishop Joseph Hii Teck Kwong succeeded him, leaving behind not a monument to himself, but a living Church continuing its journey.
His episcopal motto, “Laudetur Dominus” “Praise be to the Lord”, now seems almost like the summary of his life. Not “Praise be to the bishop.” Not “Praise be to the office.” Not “Praise be to achievement.” But simply, humbly, faithfully: Praise be to the Lord.
That was Bishop Dominic’s quiet theology of life.
The Diocese of Sibu remembered him for his “devoted and tireless service,” his “gentle shepherding of God’s people,” and his “witness of humility and faith.” Those are not merely polite obituary phrases.
They are the architecture of a life well lived. Not only whether he administered well. Not only whether he preached well. Not only whether he presided well. But whether people, after encountering him, wanted to pray better, serve better, believe better, and love Christ more deeply. Bishop Dominic did that.
He was also remembered in his later years with tenderness. In July 2025, when rumours circulated about his declining health, Bishop Joseph Hii’s office clarified that Bishop
Dominic, though physically weaker with age, remained peaceful, steady, well cared for, and spiritually strong. The faithful were asked to pray with serenity and trust in God’s timing.
That phrase now feels deeply moving: God’s timing.
For all ministry finally comes to that. There is a time to be ordained. A time to be sent. A time to build. A time to shepherd. A time to retire. A time to pray quietly from the background. And a time to return to the Father’s house.
On May 15 2026, at 9.52am, Bishop Dominic Su Haw Chiu completed his earthly pilgrimage, just days short of his 87th birthday.
The shepherd has gone home. The mitre is laid down. The crozier is surrendered. The voice that once blessed, taught and consoled is now silent on earth, but not lost in heaven.
For Sarawak, Bishop Dominic’s life was also a reminder that greatness in the Church often grows quietly from local soil. A son of Sibu became the first shepherd of Sibu. From the land, for the land, with the land. Among rivers, families, schools, parishes, longhouses, towns and communities of many tongues and cultures, he helped the Catholic faith take deeper root.
He belonged to that older generation of Church leaders who did not confuse leadership with celebrity. He did not need a loud platform. He had a pulpit. He had prayers. He had presence. He had fidelity. And perhaps that was enough.
In our age of instant noise, Bishop Dominic’s passing invites the Church to remember the power of quiet holiness. The Church is not built only by grand announcements. It is built by Mass after Mass, visit after visit, meeting after meeting, blessing after blessing, confession after confession, prayer after prayer.
It is built by shepherds who stay. Bishop Dominic stayed. He stayed with his vocation. He stayed with his people. He stayed with the Church. He stayed with the Lord. And now, in faith, we believe the Lord has received him.
The Diocese has invited clergy, religious and faithful to pray for the repose of his soul and entrust him to the mercy and love of the Risen Lord. That is exactly what we now do.
With gratitude. With sadness. With hope. With affection. With Catholic faith.
Thank you, Bishop Dominic Su Haw Chiu. Thank you for your gentle shepherding. Thank you for your humility. Thank you for your years of faithful service.
Thank you for giving Sibu not merely administration, but spiritual fatherhood. Thank you for showing that leadership can be quiet and still be strong. Thank you for reminding us that the deepest legacy of a bishop is not written only in records, but in hearts.
May the Church you loved continue to grow. May the seeds you planted continue to bear fruit. May the priests, religious and laity of Sibu carry forward your legacy of faith.
And may your episcopal motto become our prayer too: Laudetur Dominus. Praise be to the Lord.
Rest in peace, Bishop Dominic Su Haw Chiu.
Gentle shepherd of Sibu. Faithful servant of Christ. Son of Sarawak. Father to many. May the angels lead you home.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
