KUCHING: The Sarawak government, through the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR), has contributed an additional RM1 million to the building fund of St Peter’s Church in Padungan.
A mock cheque, presented during the church’s official opening ceremony today, provided for the final amount needed to complete the church’s total construction cost of RM38 million.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg made the announcement during the church’s official opening ceremony.
“Later, on behalf of the Sarawak government, we will be handing over a RM1 million cheque to the church in further aid to the building fund.
“May God bless you all, and may He continue to bless our beloved Sarawak,” he said in his speech read by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Archbishop of Kuching Datuk Dr Simon Poh who later spoke to reporters, said the church faced significant financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected initial donor and pledger support, requiring the church to restart its fundraising efforts from scratch.
To bridge the funding gap, he said public crowdfunding was carried out, including an appeal during this year’s Easter Sunday when the church announced a RM4 million shortfall and the community responded with overwhelming generosity.
“In our time of need, we turned to UNIFOR, and over the past two years, we received two cheques amounting to RM2 million.
“Together with today’s contribution, we have received RM3 million in total from the Sarawak government.
“Thus, with this final RM1 million cheque, we are able to cover the entire building cost.
“The contract sum has been cleared, and tomorrow we will consecrate this church to God, free from any outstanding debt,” he said.
While the main construction costs have now been settled, Poh said additional funds would still be required for furnishings, improvements to the sound and microphone systems, and a maintenance reserve for future upkeep.
“All future donations would be used entirely for the church’s needs and continued support from the public is welcome,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Poh said the neo-Gothic style church now stands tall in the heart of Kuching City, a proud testament that truly anchors the church’s architecture.
“The new church not only replaces the original steepled St Peter’s Church built in 1939, but also aptly succeeds the fondly remembered first Gothic-style St Joseph’s Church, built in 1891.
“Now, we have both an anchor to our sacred traditions and a futuristic cathedral that will inspire our Catholic congregation for years to come,” he said.
He added that since its soft opening on Christmas last year, the church has drawn visitors from both nearby Catholic communities and secular groups alike, and has been designated a pilgrimage church for the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.
“Beyond its breathtaking stained-glass windows, the entire church was constructed by local builders using materials sourced locally.
Even the metalwork was custom-forged here in Kuching.
“At the project’s outset, many viewed the construction as overly ambitious. But today, this church shows the capability of Sarawak’s construction industry.
“The excellent quality of its structural work, tiling, metalwork and wooden furnishings has not only set new benchmarks but also lifted the standards for the entire industry. This is where it means Sarawak Boleh,” he said.
“This accomplishment also signals promising career opportunities for our youth. I appeal to our ‘anak-anak Sarawak’ to return home, contribute and participate in our nation-building,” he said.
Later, the opening ceremony also saw the launch of a commemorative coffee table book titled ‘Anchoring Tradition, Embracing Change: Commemorating the Consecration of St Peter’s Church’.
The book, chronicling the rich history and architectural evolution of St Peter’s Church in Padungan, was unveiled by Poh and witnessed by St Peter’s Church Rector Father Vincent Chin and editorial team members Donald Tan and Marina Tan.
