BY GREEK MUMPIN
PENAMPANG – For many months they yearned for a new chapel so that they could carry out their Sunday service and other activities, and last week, the hopes and dreams of the folk at Timpayasa, a far-flung hamlet in the district, became a reality.
And none other than the Bishop of the ArchDiocese of Kota Kinabalu, ArchBishop Datuk John Wong, turned up to do the blessings of the St Julius 1 chapel, much to the surprise of the community of mainly farmers.
Together with the Rector of St Michael’s Rev Father Fundes Motiung, his assistant Rev Father Wiandigool Runsab, and Rev Father Rayner Bisius, a mass was conducted in the presence of almost 200 local Catholics and visitors.
The local folk had pleaded with their Parish Priest for a new building after the old one fell into disrepair, and with a grant of RM30,000 plus some money raised in a fund raising event, materials were purchased and the villagers themselves erected the building on a gotong-royong basis.
The hamlet of Timpayasa, neighbours to the more famous Terian and Buayan, is only 7km from Sugut, but the journey by 4-wheel drive vehicle (only) can take one no less than 45 minutes.
It is virtually impassable in rainy weather.
Having got their new chapel, the folks there will be fervently praying that it will not be eventually ‘drowned’ as if the state-owned Kaiduan Dam becomes a reality, the while area, including Timpayasa, will be ‘flooded’.
With their new chapel, the community here are looking forward to visits by the Rector and his assistant, for mass, at least once a week.
