By Soccom Diocese of Sibu
SIBU — A quiet but powerful movement began to take shape in Sibu today, Mar 21 2026 as 70 participants and coordinators from across the Diocese gathered at Laudato Si’, Sacred Heart Cathedral for the First Preparatory Session of the Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026 (MPC2026).
More than just a meeting, the gathering unfolded as a living experience of synodality, a Church coming together to listen, discern, and walk forward in unity.
Sibu is set to host MPC2026 from 9 to 13 Sep 2026, a historic event that will see the coming together of all nine dioceses of the Catholic Church in Malaysia. Today’s session marked the beginning of that shared journey.
The day opened with a welcome address by Bishop Joseph Hii, who invited participants to enter this process not merely as organisers, but as pilgrims open to the Holy Spirit, attentive to one another, and committed to the mission of the Church.
Setting the foundation for the day, Fr Alphonsus Tang guided participants through the background and objectives of MPC2026, before leading them into the deeply reflective process known as “Conversation in the Spirit.” Far from a typical discussion, the method invited participants into a space of prayerful listening to one another and to God, echoing the vision of the Church as the People of God journeying together.
As conversations unfolded in small groups, the room became a space of attentive silence, honest sharing, and spiritual openness. Later, representatives from all 15 groups stepped forward to share the fruits of their discernment: a moment that revealed not only diverse insights, but a growing sense of unity.
In a particularly meaningful moment, Fr Joseph Sebastian invited two young participants to join him in presenting their group’s reflections. Their shared voice became a visible sign of a Church that values every generation where the young are not only present, but actively shaping the journey forward.
Earlier in the session, participants had also taken on concrete roles, with the selection of 15 facilitators and 15 note-takers, ensuring that future conversations will continue to be guided with clarity, depth, and attentiveness.
Yet beyond programmes and structure, what stood out most was the spirit of collaboration present throughout the gathering. Coordinators across key ministries: logistics, transportation, hospitality, medical aid, security, liturgy, media, and more stood side by side with parish representatives from Sacred Heart Cathedral, St Mary of Divine Mercy, and St Teresa Church.
Their presence was not simply functional. It was deeply symbolic.
Here was synodality in action: a Church where different gifts, roles, and responsibilities converge in shared mission. A Church where listening is valued, participation is encouraged, and responsibility is carried together. In the words often echoed by Pope Francis, this is a Church that does not walk alone, but walks together.
The momentum of the day culminated in the launching of MPC2026 preparations, where Bishop Joseph Hii presented banners to parish representatives, a gesture both symbolic and missionary, sending each parish forth to carry the spirit of the Convention into their own communities.
The session concluded in a fittingly symbolic way with a group photo at the Shrine of Mary Immaculate, Sacred Heart Cathedral, taken alongside a welcoming banner that extends an open invitation to Catholics across Malaysia.
On the right corner of the group photo, stood Kingwood Hotel, the very venue that will host MPC2026, only a stone’s throw away from the Cathedral. In that single frame, past preparation and future gathering seemed to meet: the praying Church at the shrine, and the place of assembly already in sight. It was a quiet yet powerful sign that the journey ahead is not distant, but already unfolding in their midst.
Anchored in the theme “Celebrate, Listen, and Walk Together,” this first preparatory session revealed that MPC2026 is already underway not in programmes alone, but in hearts being formed, voices being heard, and a community learning once again what it means to journey together.
As the Diocese of Sibu continues its preparations, one thing is clear: this is more than planning a convention.
It is the shaping of a synodal Church: alive, listening, and moving forward in hope. – FB Diocese of Sibu
