After the devastation of World War II the diocese of Labuan and the bishopric of Sarawak were joined into the diocese of Borneo and in 1949 Nigel Cornwall was consecrated bishop. His immediate task was to restore the ruins of the churches, schools and other mission property destroyed during the years of the Japanese occupation. 1953 saw the construction of the new St. Thomas' Cathedral to replace the leaky wooden edifice built by McDougall. Men prepared for ordination at the House of the Epiphany (established in 1952) provided nine new priests for the area in 1956.
