By Herald Malaysia
SIBU, Sarawak – Before the Missioning Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on Sep 12, the Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026 (MPC2026) entrusted its hopes and prayers to those who will carry the Church’s mission into the future.
Archbishop Simon Poh placed a time capsule within the Salib and sealed it. The capsule holds symbols and messages prepared by Malaysia’s nine dioceses, reflecting the voices of the Church today and reaching towards the generations to come.
Children in Miri wrote to the children who will come after them; priests in Malacca Johore addressed their future brothers in ministry; and persons with disabilities in Kuching shared their hopes with those who will follow. Parents in Penang and grandparents in Kuala Lumpur offered their own words to the families of tomorrow.
Teenagers in Sandakan and young people in Keningau spoke to those who will one day stand where they stand. Families in Kota Kinabalu addressed future families, while the religious in Sibu left a message for those who will answer the same call.
Together, their words carried a hope that faith, care and courage would continue to grow long after the convention had ended.
The capsule also contained the Perjalanan Salib and MPC2026 logos, and a swan symbolising Sibu, the Swan City.
Sealed within the Salib are prayers for a Church whose faces we do not yet know. The children, families, priests, religious and communities of tomorrow will have their own joys and struggles, and their own paths to discern. When they open the capsule, they will find that the Church of 2026 had already made room for them in its heart. Its messages offer them a blessing across the years: may they listen deeply, walk together faithfully and find the courage to carry the mission forward.
The Salib will remain in Sibu until the next MPC. – Herald Malaysia
