Courtesy Call

Peter Seitz, the Executive Secretary of the Catholic Deanery of Heilbronn, Germany and Dr Ute paid a courtesy call to Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom in his office at the Diocesan Centre, Church Hill Road Sandakan on 17th April 2009 at 9.00 am.

The close rapport between the Churches in Sabah and Heilbronn dates back to the year 1982 when an ecumenical study group from Heilbronn visited Sabah and in respond to that, local fellow Christian brethren made a ‘return trip’ to participate in the Heilbronn Mission Festival in 1984. Since then, mutual visits were organized once in two years.

In August 1990, formal agreements were signed to seal the partnership. Bishop Thu of BCCM and Archbishop John Lee of the Catholic Church were the signatories from Sabah while Heilbronn was represented by Derhard Berroth, President of the District Synod and Dean Mohler of the Catholic Deanery of Heilbronn. The partnership allows both parties to experience fraternal unity and enrich each other in whatever possible ways, along the faith journey for the salvation of all mankind.

On 13^th July 2009, the three Catholic Bishops and the Bishop of BCCM will sign the Sabah-Heilbronn Ecunemical Partnership Agreement in the BCCM hall in Likas at 7.00 pm. The other partner, from PCS had signed the said agreement in Heilbronn last year.