Thousands gather to bid farewell to the late Fr Fundes

KOTA KINABALU – Thousands of faithful gathered to bid farewell to the late Father Fundes Motiung at the Sacred Heart Cathedral here on 8 Sept 2017.

An estimated 5,000-odd crowd turned up for the funeral of Fr Motiung, many from the different neo-catechumenal way communities in the Kota Kinabalu Archdiocese.

Archbishop John Wong presided at the Requiem Mass.  Joining him were Archbishop Emeritus John Lee and over forty priests from the three arch/dioceses who had just finished their annual retreat in Bundu Tuhan.

In his homily, Abp Wong reminded the faithful that “for the Christian, life has not ended, only changed.”  He stressed on the hope of eternal life held out to all in the Word of God.

Fr Motiung died on Monday, Sept 4, shortly after Abp Wong’s visit.

Hundreds of people – whose lives he had touched throughout his 19 years of priestly service – came to pay their last respects as he lay in state at St Michael Penampang from Monday to Wednesday (Sept 4-6) and at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the Sacred Heart Cathedral Karamunsing on Thursday (Sept 7).

Out of those 19 years, 16 were filled with pain as he underwent treatment for leukemia.  Yet whenever he was able, he would go about his priestly ministry cheerfully.

He was buried at the Mile 4.5 Catholic Cemetery Jalan Penampang Lama.