By Shannon Wei
KUCHING — The Kuching Archdiocese will soon say goodbye to a beloved Jesuit priest, Fr Larry Tan, SJ, who has devoted 10 years of service to St Joseph’s Cathedral Parish. Before his return to West Malaysia this December, Fr Larry graciously shared his reflections with Today’s Catholic on the impactful encounters and priestly journey of his mission in Kuching.
Establishing the “Jesuit roots”
In April 2012, Fr Larry received his assignment to Kuching from then Regional Superior of the Society of Jesus, Fr Colin Tan, SJ. Appointed to SJC Parish, Fr Larry served as a parish priest alongside Fr Felix Au, Fr John Chong and Fr Simon Poh (now Archbishop).
This new mission also marked the milestone of establishing Kuching’s first Jesuit community. “The Jesuits were invited for the first time to come here,” Fr Larry recalled, considering it among his most cherished memories here. Together with Fr Francis Lim, SJ, they were the “pioneers”, laying the foundation for the future.
While they initially resided at the Lay Apostolic Centre, it was not long before they acquired a home to call their own—the “Bellarmine House”—which Fr Larry took joy in overseeing its renovation process.
Breaking the Barriers of Language and Culture
When asked about the challenges encountered here, Fr shared one of his earliest struggles – celebrating Mass in Mandarin, a language he had only begun learning in Taipei a year prior, in 2011. He persevered in mastering the language mostly through self-study, digital resources, and support from his brother priests. Describing his first Mandarin Mass in Kuching, he jokingly admitted: “It was the fright of my life!”
Beyond that, Fr Larry touched on his cultural immersion beyond the familiar urban landscape in Kuala Lumpur, venturing into rural localities such as Serian and Bau for the iChat programme, and stepping foot as far as Long Lama. “Seeing the lifestyle of the kampung opened my eyes,” he reflected. “I was adjusting to a different mindset.”
We are God’s Easter people: Called… Chosen… and Sent
Initially keeping a low profile in the Archdiocese, Fr Larry accidentally found himself thrust into the ‘spotlight’ after the Kuching Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly 2017 (KAPA-1). Post-KAPA-1, saw feverish preparations by the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) for the Cathedral Parish’s first-ever Parish Pastoral Assembly (PPA), which was held on the Feast of Christ the King, 23 November 2019.
Preparations included revising the old Vision and Mission (V & M) statements of the Cathedral Parish in a six-month-long drafting and discernment process. The revised V & M statements were eventually adopted by the PPC and approved by Archbishop Simon Poh.
Drawing inspiration from Jesus’s identity and mission, both statements reflected a deep and profound spirituality encapsulating the five core values (ecology, family, mercy, social justice and inter-religious harmony) of the Cathedral parish.
At the same time, a new leadership and governance structure was drawn up for better coordination of the various parish groups and ministries.
What stood out was the new logo for the Cathedral Parish, which according to him was world-class. This logo was the result of a logo and song composition contest held in anticipation of the 50th Anniversary of the Dedication of St Joseph’s Cathedral.
Looking back, he humorously said: “A fish will not get into trouble if it knows how to keep its big mouth shut!” In other words, he would not have gotten himself so stressed up making his shared dream a reality had he kept quiet.
He acknowledged that without the support of the members of PPC and the lay leaders, the whole project would not have materialised.
What lies ahead?
As of November 2023, Fr Larry’s meaningful outreach in supporting individuals with cancer through the two Cancer Support Groups (formed in June 2022, also known as “Cancer Dancing Academy”) of the Cathedral Parish has touched the hearts of many people. He is well supported by the St Joseph’s Cathedral Parish Counselling team of Nelly and Kimberly.
He is also reaching out to about 80 people suffering from cancer from across Malaysia and overseas through his WhatsApp chat group.
“I want to retire here, but God has a different plan for me… I leave Kuching with a heavy heart.”
In January 2024, he will be posted to the College General Major Seminary in Penang to serve there as a Spiritual Director. Living a semi-retired life, he now works from home and is truly enjoying a life free from stress and worries. While looking forward to retirement on his 75th birthday next August, he is, nevertheless, excited about his new mission in Penang.
Before departing Kuching, he leaves behind a few words…
To lay leaders… “I can never thank you enough for your service. Take care of yourself… you are what makes the Church so vibrant.”
To the youth… To embrace their roles as “the future leaders of the Church”, and face the challenges of the digital age with a passion for Christ and a passion for humanity.
To the ‘low profiles’ in the Church… “The Church needs you. We need young and bold leaders to whom the baton of leadership can be passed on to you.”
To young priests and seminarians… “Service is joy. Like Jesus who came to serve and not to be served, it is service with humility that transformed us.”
