Saibo Mabo was an Australian bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia.
14 Facts About Saibo Mabo
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Saibo Mabo served as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland from 2002 to 2015, and as National Bishop to the Torres Strait Islander people during that time.
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Saibo Mabo was the nephew of indigenous rights activist Eddie Mabo.
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Saibo Mabo commenced ministry from the age of 17 after he felt he was being called to work as a priest.
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Saibo Mabo was educated at Nungalinya College and then spent his ministry supporting indigenous people in Far North Queensland and across Australia.
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In 2002, Saibo Mabo was chosen as an Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland following the death of his predecessor serving the Torres Strait Islands, Ted Mosby.
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Saibo Mabo's appointment was seen as an opportunity for reconciliation in the region by the Anglican Church of Australia and he was appointed as a "national" bishop to all Torres Strait Islanders, both on the islands and in mainland Australia.
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Saibo Mabo was consecrated on 24 February 2002 in the All Souls and St Bartholomew's Cathedral Church on Thursday Island by Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall.
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Saibo Mabo spent his first year as bishop visiting the congregations who had broken away from the Diocese in 1997 and 1998 in protest at the appointment of Mosby.
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Together with local Member of Parliament Warren Entsch, Saibo Mabo led a successful restoration project of the Quetta Church Hall on Thursday Island as a community initiative, with Entsch serving as Patron and Saibo Mabo as chair of the project.
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Saibo Mabo was instrumental in supporting the Torres Strait community following the murder of eight children in the Cairns suburb of Manoora in December 2014.
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Saibo Mabo served as bishop until mid-2015 when he retired from the role, following which he became the local parish priest at All Souls and St Bartholomew's Cathedral Church.
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Saibo Mabo died two days before his 70th birthday on 12 May 2017 after a short illness, his funeral service being held on 16 June 2017 at St Bartholomew's, the same place where he was consecrated as a Bishop in February 2002.
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Saibo Mabo was survived by his wife Sania, two children and seven grandchildren.