The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu (Lat: Archdioecesis Kotakinabaluensis) is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The archdiocese is the oldest ecclesiastical territory in Malaysia, with a long history slowly rising along with the Catholic population from a prefecture to an archdiocese. Its cathedral archepiscopal see is Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu. The patron saint of the archdiocese is St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

History

Originally erected on 4 September 1855 as the Apostolic prefecture of Labuan and Borneo, created on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia (Java) (including the neighbouring Dutch East Indies). On 5 February 1927 it was renamed the Apostolic Prefecture of Northern Borneo, and lost territory to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Sarawak (now Dioceses of Kuching, Sibu and Miri). On 14 February 1952 the prefecture was promoted to Apostolic Vicariate of Jesselton, hence entitled to a titular bishop. On 22 March 1962 its name was changed once more to the Apostolic Vicariate of Kota Kinabalu, after its see. On 31 May 1976 the vicariate was elevated to a full Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuching. The diocese lost territories twice, to create its present suffragans : On 23 May 2008, the diocese was elevated to Metropolitan Archdiocese, whose ecclesiastical province comprises the above suffragan dioceses, both formerly part of the original territory of the diocese of Kota Kinabalu: the Dioceses of Keningau and Sandakan. On 21 June 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed John Wong Soo Kau, director of the aspirants' formation house in Kota Kinabalu, as Coadjutor Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu. His ordination took place on 1 October 2010 and was installed as the second and current Archbishop of this diocese in 2013. His predecessor, John Lee Hiong Fun-Yit Yaw, has been served as the first Archbishop from 1987 to his retirement on 1 December 2012.

Prelates

Apostolic prefects of Labuan and Borneo

Apostolic prefects of Labuan and Northern Borneo

Apostolic prefects of Northern Borneo

Apostolic vicars of Jesselton/Kota Kinabalu

Bishops of Kota Kinabalu

Archbishops of Kota Kinabalu

Clergy

Archbishops

College of Consultors

Current archdiocesan clergy line-up

Deceased clergies

Clergies outstationed/On study leave

List of parishes

As of 2023, there are 23 parishes across 4 deaneries including various sub-parishes and 229 outstations found in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu.

Religious orders

Religious men

Religious women

Missionary schools

Primary

Secondary

Media apostolate/social communications

Publications

Bookshops

Sources and external links