Sacred Heart Cathedral — Local services in Borneo

Sacred Heart Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, and the seat of its current archbishop, John Wong Soo Kau. The current cathedral was built from 1979 to 1981, with its dedication held on 21 November 1981.

In early January 1903, Father Henry van der Heyden first arrived in Jesselton. His aggressive policy of importing Chinese workers by the Chartered Company Government sudden flooded the town with the arrival of hundreds of Chinese immigrants. The mission was named Sacred Heart of Jesus in June 1903.

The bulk of the early Catholic community was made up of poor Hakka farmers in a completely new land striving to adjust to all the harsh conditions of a new life. Surrounded by experience of much struggles and suffering in their daily lives, Father Heyden thought of God's compassionate love for His children in Borneo, and remembered that Jesus also suffered and died for them, which is possibly the reason the church was then named...

Visiting Sacred Heart Cathedral in Kota Kinabalu was a deeply moving experience. A place for reflection and calm.

The building is well maintained. The design allows for a lot of natural light, and despite the tropical climate, ventilation is generally good (though I noticed there is no air-conditioning in the main hall, with fans used instead). The space is large, and on Satuday (sunset mass) or Sundays many arrive early to get good seating. The parking can get full during peak times, so it’s wise to arrive early.

Masses are offered in multiple languages (English, Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin), which reflects the diversity of the congregation. Weekly reading or informations related can be gained from hardcopy distributed in front church or through SHC...

I have personally seen Sir Tony Blair the ex British prime minister come to this church twice,with his wife, daughters and body guards ... Sacred Heart has historical beginning that mirrors the development of the city capital. As a source of faith, it is one where catholics from around the area congregate daily and weekly... If you want to see all the races in Sabah and the immigrants from South East Asia in particular Philippines and Indonesia, including Europeans and tourists, the best time is the 9:00 and 10:45 am mass every Sunday and the sunset mass on Saturdays 6:00 pm, for a cooler atmosphere. There is also a good religious bookshop within the Parish hall. Worth a visit for the religious...