Born: 14 September 1943, Sandakan, Sabah
Entered: 14 August 1968, Cheung Chau, Hong Kong
Ordained: 10 December 1978, SFX, Petaling Jaya
Final Vows: 31 July 1982, Petaling Jaya
Died: 23 September 2016, Assunta Hospital, Petaling Jaya
Father Peter Kim was born in Sandakan, Sabah, on 14 September 1943. He had his primary education in Holy Trinity School at Tawau, Sabah. He had his secondary education at St Mary’s Secondary School in Sandakan, Sabah. After his secondary education, he studied at Sabah College, Kota Kinabalu. He went to University of Adelaide in South Australia for his tertiary education.
When Father Peter Kim first told his mother and sister that he wanted to be a priest in 1959, they did not give him their approval. Years later, in the 1960s, he again told his mother and sister that he wanted to be a priest and this time they gave him their approval. He entered the Society of Jesus on 14 August 1968, and he did his novitiate at Xavier House, Cheung Chau. Hong Kong. He took his First Vows on 15 August 1970.
He went on to do his philosophy in Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines, from 1970 to 1973. For theological studies he did it at Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from 1974 to 1977. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 December 1978. The brother of Father Peter Kim, Mr Philip Kim remembered how worried he was for his brother’s inaugural homily for his Thanksgiving Mass shortly after his ordination. This was because he recalled how Father Peter Kim stammered and staggered at public speaking when he was studying in Sabah College. Father Peter Kim delivered an excellent inaugural homily for his Thanksgiving Mass much to the surprise of Mr Philip Kim.
After completing his Philosophy and Theology studies in Manila and Yogyakarta respectively, he did his tertianship in Japan among the Zen Buddhist monks from 1978 to 1979. He took his Final Vows on the 31 July 1982.
From 1979 to 1985, Father Peter Kim became the sixth and first local parish priest of the Church of St Francis Xavier, Petaling Jaya. He became parish priest at a time when the Church was calling for greater participation by lay people in the life of the Church. During this time the BECs (Basic Ecclesial Community) were still in their stages of infancy (post Aggiornamento 1976) and so he took the opportunity to turn SFX into a model BEC parish by successfully implementing and executing the pastoral thrust of the parish in being transformed into a communion of communities. He also played a pivotal role in planning, developing and nurturing BECs by following the approaches of the Jesuit model known as Better World Movement and AsIPA (BEC) Desk of the FABC Office of Laity through easily understandable catechesis, materials and training of the laity. A programme to renew the parish along these lines was initiated by Father Peter Kim, thus making SFX the leading model for the building up of the basic Christian community. The first Parish Assembly was conducted in which the Lay had a voice and parishioners began to understand the meaning of “We are the Church”.
Father Peter Kim, SJ is acknowledged for achieving several ‘firsts’ and for leading several pastoral initiatives and strategies for the local Church, particularly in the area of BECs. He was the first Jesuit to be ordained from Sabah and was the first Malaysian Jesuit to be appointed parish priest of the Church of St Francis Xavier in Petaling Jaya.
He led the KL Archdiocesan Pastoral Team from 1984 to 1990 and was Director of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute from 1986 to 1990.
He then took on the post of Prefect of Studies at the Arrupe International Residence in the Philippines from 1990 to 1993. He returned to his East Malaysian roots to serve in the Diocese of Kota Kinabalu where he was appointed Director of the Catholic Pastoral Centre (1993-1997). He helped set up the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Taman Hiburan, Penampang in 1993 and was its director from 1993-1997.
Following this, over the next three years he served in the Melaka Johor Diocese as Director of Catechesis and Religious Education and Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Institute. Father Peter Kim was the first local superior of the community of Arrupe House in Masai in 1999, with the first members, Father Jojo Fung, Brother Simon Raj and Scholastic Thomas Chong at that time.
In 2008, Father Peter Kim went as a missionary to Myanmar where he helped in pastoral training and taught theology to seminarians and led the local Jesuit community there before returning to live with his fraternal brothers in Petaling Jaya in 2013. He taught pastoral theology at the St Joseph Catholic Major Seminary in Yangon, Myanmar as well as conducted various courses on spirituality.
‘Retirement’ was far from his mind as right up until demise, Father Peter Kim remained active through his research and writing, spiritual exercises and assisting in pastoral ministries.
Father Peter Kim was admitted for a medical check-up at Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya after suffering a fall in the community and passed away the following afternoon in the Intensive Care Unit. The cause of his sudden death was a bleeding tumour in the lung. He passed away at 5.45pm on 23 September 2016. He was 73 years old.
Reference:
http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/sfx-pj-bids-farewell-to-its-first-local-jesuit-parish-priest/32205/5
https://www.sfx.com.my/index.php/senior-citizens/57-our-church/past-parish-priest/236-rev-fr-peter-kim-sj
https://www.sfx.com.my/index.php/side-our-church/past-parish-priest/236-rev-fr-peter-kim-sj
https://kkdiocese.net/first-sabahan-jesuit-dies-at-73/
https://kkdiocese.net/tag/peter-kim-sj/
https://youtu.be/4y3rn2f9vE0