THE late Bishop Emeritus Dominic Su Haw Chiu of Sacred Heart Cathedral Sibu has been described as a eucharistic person who dedicated all his life serving God and the people.
Su, 87, passed away peacefully at Hospital Sibu on May 15.
At his funeral mass, the cathedral’s serving bishop Joseph Hii recalled the years he spent with Su in the twilight of his life.
He described Su as a man deeply marked by two defining characteristics: prayer and service.
“For years, it was common to find him alone in his chapel for long hours, silently praying before the Lord. He prayed not for himself, but for others. He prayed for the church, for those seeking healing, for priests, for families and above all, to discern and accomplish the will of God.
“He embodied the words of Christ: ‘I came to serve and not to be served.’
“As bishop, priest and shepherd, he poured himself out tirelessly for God’s people,” said Hii.
However, he added that perhaps the greatest lesson came not from Su’s years of strength, but during his years of weakness.
As his age advanced and dementia slowly overtook him, the once-active Bishop Emeritus was confronted with a painful transformation. The man who had spent his life serving others now had to allow others to serve him.
And this, Hii reflected, required tremendous humility, where Su literally moved from serving to being served, from praying to being prayed for.
In one particularly touching moment, Hii shared how Su – a man known for spending countless hours in prayer – quietly admitted one day: “I do not know how to pray.”
Those were not words of defeat, but of surrender.
The shepherd who once guided others spiritually was now walking the final path of discipleship: allowing himself to be carried entirely by God, by the prayers of the church and by the love of others.
“Without complaint, without bitterness, Bishop Emeritus Dominic accepted the cross permitted by God. He endured quietly, persevered patiently and surrendered humbly,” Hii said.
With deep conviction, he proclaimed that Bishop Emeritus Dominic Su has now experienced his Easter – his passage into the resurrection of Christ.
More than 1,000 people, comprising clergy, parishioners, friends and family members, attended the funeral mass to send off Su to the Father whom he had served faithfully throughout his life.
Hii also explained that many bishops, archbishops and cardinals had wished to be present to honour Su.
However, the funeral arrangements had to be carried out swiftly as many church leaders were preparing for the Ad Limina visit to meet Pope Leo XIV and report on the life and mission of their dioceses.
The Diocese of Sibu described Su as “a man who taught the church not only how to serve, but also how to surrender. A man who prayed, until finally, he allowed the whole church to pray for him.”
Born on May 26, 1939, Su was ordained a priest on Dec 4, 1969.
Named the first bishop of Sibu on Dec 22, 1986, he was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on Jan 6, 1987, and installed on Feb 11.
He faithfully shepherded the diocese until his retirement on Dec 24, 2011, when Hii succeeded him.
