By William Isau
SIBU, April 18: The Catholic Church here has lost one of its longest serving priests following the demise of Father Thomas Taam Chak Wing today.
Taam, 97, from China, breathed his last at about 10.56am today in his room at St Teresa’s Church.
Rector of St Teresa’s Church, Father Michael Lee had only good words on Taam when he spoke to reporters earlier today.
“He was a man of God and very faithful to the ministry. He was also a very approachable person,” said Lee who succeeded Taam as rector a year before the Covid-19 pandemic .
Lee said Taam died a natural death due to old age.
“I think he served his last mass some time two years before the pandemic. That was also the time I took over from him as he had retired by then,” he said.
Taam was born on Dec 21, 1925 in Guangdong Province, China.
He accepted priestly formation in a seminary in Hong Kong in 1947 and on July 10, 1954, was sent to Nanyang as a missionary priest.
His first posting was to St Francis Xavier’s Church in Kanowit. He moved to Bintangor in 1963 and to Sacred Heart Cathedral the following year.
After working at the cathedral for seven years, he was given additional responsibilities at St Teresa’s parish.
He became the Rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1980 and continued to serve the two parishes until 1999 when he was appointed Rector of St Teresa’s Church.
His body is laid at the Conference Room in St Teresa’s Church for the public to pay respects today and tomorrow.
The encoffin is scheduled at the same place on Wednesday (April 20) followed by a funeral mass at 9am at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Taam will be buried at Nirvana Memorial Park here. — DayakDaily
