UNDER a temporary canopy beside a small wooden church, worshippers stood shoulder to shoulder, some fanning themselves in the afternoon heat as prayers filled the quiet compound in Bukit Garam, Sabah.
Inside, others waited their turn, moving slowly towards a simple white cross at the front. They paused briefly, bowed their heads, kissed it, then stepped aside for the next person.
In Sabah’s east coast district of Kinabatangan, where small villages are scattered among vast palm oil plantations, moments like this draw people together.
About 250 worshippers from across the district gathered at St Anthony’s Church for Good Friday services, observed in early April this year as one of the most solemn days in the Catholic calendar.
Though modest in appearance, the church is the largest Catholic place of worship in the district, serving a small but close-knit community.
The congregation includes members of the Sungai community who are Christians, along with estate workers and civil servants such as nurses and teachers stationed in the area, many of whom are posted far from their hometowns.
For some, the gathering is more than a religious observance – it is one of the few times in the year when they come together in large numbers.
The church itself reflects that simplicity.
There are no towering fixtures or elaborate structures; only a wooden cross, painted white, standing at the front.
Even as the service continued, the congregation extended beyond the church walls, with worshippers standing outside under makeshift tents, listening quietly.
The Good Friday observance was marked by prayers and the veneration of the cross, a ritual that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Whether inside the church or outside under the tents, worshippers stood closely together as they followed the service, taking turns to approach the cross in quiet reverence. The act, simple yet deeply symbolic, reflects humility and remembrance, as each person paused briefly before the cross in silence.
For catechist Camillus Belasius, the meaning lies not in change, but in continuity.
“Every year, it is the same journey. From the first station to the 14th, nothing is added and nothing is taken away. We walk the same path, remembering in the same way,” he said.
With Easter coming up, he added that the observance also serves as a time for reflection following the Lenten season that began with Ash Wednesday.
“It is a time to look back at what we have done, what we intend to do and whether we have lived out those intentions,” he said.
The church was built about 15 years ago, with earlier gatherings held in the homes of villagers.
What began in small living rooms has grown into a place where the community now gathers for major observances each year.
A total of 48 families are registered with the church, though the number of worshippers is larger, especially during occasions like Good Friday, when people return from different parts of the district.
In a place where distances are long and communities are spread out, the church remains a point of connection. And year after year, the journey remains the same – quiet, unchanging, and shared.
