By Evelyn Jock
SANDAKAN – After a full year of grace, pilgrimage, and renewal, the Diocese of Sandakan solemnly closed the Jubilee Year 2025 on Dec 28, with a celebration that drew the faithful back to its spiritual roots in family, faith, and enduring hope.
The Jubilee, a universal Catholic observance rooted in Old Testament traditions of liberation and restoration, was inaugurated for 2025 by Pope Francis. For the Sandakan diocese, it officially began on Dec 29, 2024, at St. Mary’s Cathedral under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” Throughout the year, the cathedral served as the designated pilgrimage site, welcoming over 3,000 pilgrims from across Sabah and international visitors from Kuala Lumpur, Australia, and Germany. Many undertook a prayerful pilgrim walk, including an ascent of the Marian Mount Rosary Corridor, as a physical testament to their spiritual journey.
The closing Mass, presided over by Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom and coinciding worldwide with the Feast of the Holy Family, marked a reflective culmination. In his homily, Bishop Julius turned to the Holy Family as a perpetual model for Christian life.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, a simple yet holy family, lived in total obedience to God’s will,” he said. He reflected on their flight to Egypt as an experience of displacement met with profound trust. “What is truly extraordinary is that God chose an ordinary family as the instrument of salvation.”
Read full story in Catholic Sabah Vol 69 No 02 dated Jan 18 2026.
