The Church of Saint Alphonsus/ Novena Church (Novena, Singapore)

The Church of Saint Alphonsus:

The Church of Saint Alphonsus

About the Church:

In 1935, the Redemptorists came to Singapore from Australia, and their first residence was a rented bungalow at 339 Thomson Road, where the Thomson Medical Centre is now situated. The next year, the first Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was erected and the icon of Our Mother placed in the Chapel in the Redemptorist’s residence.

After the end of World War II in 1945, the Redemptorist found a temporary home at 418 Thomson Road. On 29 November of that year, the first public Novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help was held and many people started attending these novenas.
In 1950, the Redemptorist in Singapore finally found their permanent home at the present site at 300 Thomson Road, and the new Redemptorist Chapel was solemnly blessed on 14 May 1950. Although officially known as the Church of St. Alphonsus (named after St. Alphonsus Liguori, the founder of the Redemptorist Order), the church became known as the ‘Novena Church’ following the popularity of the Saturday Novenas to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. On 21 June 1953, the first Novena Procession was held in the Novena Church grounds, and this started the tradition of an Annual Procession held every first Sunday of September.

In 1956, the Novena Church was extended to include a bell tower and the Redemptorist residence at the back of the Church. Side verandahs were added in the 1980s Later the St. Clement Pastoral Centre, built next to the Church, was blessed and opened in 1997. A new Redemptorist Residence was also built at the back of the Church.

Website of the Church: The Website of the Church of Saint Alphonsus

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Saint Alphonsus

 

 

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (Singapore)

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes:

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

About the Church:

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was blessed and officially opened in 1888. This is the first Tamil Catholic church in Singapore. The building site was obtained in 1885 and the cornerstone laid on the 1st August 1886 by Bishop Gasnier, D.D. and Sir Frederick A. Weld, G. C M. G in an official ceremony that was witnessed by a number of religious and laity. It bears a resemblance to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, in France. Within the Church building itself is a grotto with life-sized statues depicting the appearance of Our Lady appearing to Saint Bernadette.

Many architectural historians attribute this building to Swan & Maclaren, but it was more probably designed by a priest–architect, such as Father Nain, as many other Catholic buildings in Singapore were at the time. It could not have been executed by Swan & Maclaren, to whom it is often attributed, as the partnership was not formed until 1893, at which time the building was completed. More than likely the plans were submitted by A.W. Lermit of Swan & Lermit.

Today, the Church is used, up to a point, for the purpose for which it was built, i.e. as a worshipping place for Tamil Catholics. However, over the last decade, and in the interests of a multi-racial nation, it has welcomed Catholics of all races. Masses are held in English, Tamil and Singhalese. The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was gazetted as a national monument on 14 January 2005.

Website of the Church: The Website of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Church of Saint Joseph (Singapore)

The Church of Saint Joseph:

The Church of Saint Joseph (Picture from the Archdiocese of Singapore)

About the Church:

The history of Saint Joseph’s Church and that of its predecessor, the Church of São José, both built on the same site, is inextricably linked with the Portuguese Mission. Father Francisco da Silva Pinto e Maia of Porto, head of the Portuguese Mission, arrived from Goa in 1826 and founded the Mission in Singapore. When he died in 1850, he left his money and some land for the building of a small church. His funds were augmented by a gift from the King of Portugal and the church was called São José. It was built by the man who succeeded him, the Reverend Vincente de Santa Catarina from 1851 to 1853.

In 1906, the Church of São José was pulled down. The present Saint Joseph’s Church, completed in 1912, was built on the same site by the notable firm Swan & MacLaren.
Situated in the church compound and attached to the Mission was Saint Anthony’s Boys’ and Girls’ School. It was first opened by Father José Pedro Santa Ana da Cunha in 1879 as Saint Anna’s School in a small house along Middle Road. The school moved into the church compound in 1886 and changed its name. In 1893, separate boys’ and girls’ schools were formed. In 1999, the Portuguese Mission handed over Saint Joseph’s Church to the Archdiocese of Singapore.

Saint Joseph’s Church was gazetted a national monument on 14 January 2005. From 4 September to 12 November 2006, the church was one of the exhibition venues for the Singapore Biennale, Singapore’s inaugural international biennale of contemporary art.

Today the church is served by 2 priests, Father Michael Teo and Father Andre Christophe MEP, with daily masses as well as Sunday masses. However, it is not a parish church.
The church was once home to a pipe organ, built in 1888 by Forster and Andrews, but it has since been dismantled. 2 and 3 manual Allen Digital Organs were installed in 2005 and 2009 respectively. The Church also contains an outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Fatima.

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Saint Joseph (Picture from the Archdiocese of Singapore)

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul (Queen Street, Singapore)

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul:

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul

About the Church of Saints Peter and Paul:

Built in 1869 – 1870, the Church of Sts. Peter & Paul became the “seat” of the Chinese community in Singapore. The mission was a beacon for Chinese converts within and outside Singapore. Since then, most of the parishes in Singapore have their roots directly or indirectly from this parish. For these reasons, we are fondly known as the “Mother Church” among local Catholics. Although the population in the city area has declined over the last few decades, our parish has strived to remain relevant to the Mission of Sts. Peter & Paul. With the ongoing transformation of the city into a vibrant and exciting area for the arts, tourism and a city campus for the Singapore Management University, the Church of Sts. Peter & Paul is an ideal location to serve the ever-changing needs of the growing community and her parishioners.

In 2001, we embarked on a massive and bold redevelopment plan to build a new parish building, an Adoration Chapel and a Columbarium. This plan was to cost the Church SGD$7 million. With the generous support of the parishioners, well-wishes and fellow catholics – and more importantly, the blessing of Our Lord – we managed to raise the money needed to make this project a reality.

Website of the Church: The Website of Saints Peter and Paul

Other Pictures of the Church:

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul

The Church of Saint Teresa (Kampong Bahru, Singapore)

The Church of Saint Teresa:

The Church of Saint Teresa

About the Church:

By mid 1920, the need was felt for a new church to be built near the port, in the South Western part of Singapore. The area had a growing population, though being still rural and there was a number of Hokkien speaking Catholics to be taken care of. The prime mover of the project was Father E. Mariette, parish priest of Sts Peter & Paul in Queen Street. Father Stephen Lee eventually completed the building of the Church and had it blessed on 7 April 1929.

In April 1935, Father Stephen Lee came to take residence in St Teresa. The Catholic population was growing as new housing developments took place due to the proximity of the port. A convent was built in Bukit Teresa and eight Carmelites nuns from Bangkok arrived in May 1938 to start the Convent of Christ the King. Today sixteen nuns are leading a life of prayer and poverty. A small school was then started and grew slowly into St Teresa’s Convent, while a Chinese school was built next to the Church: St Teresa Sino English School. In 1959, it was time to build a new Church in the vicinity and St Bernadette became the “first daughter parish” of St Teresa, soon followed by the parishes of Blessed Sacrament and Holy Cross.

In 2006, the Church was tastefully upgraded and welcomed C.H.I.J. Kellock a primary school of 1,200 girls. Today, St Teresa has a Catholic population of around 2,500, including a few hundred Filipinos and Indian nurses. With new housing estates mushrooming ¨C Pinnacle, Cantonment Towers, Sentosa Cove ¨C more people are and will be coming to the Church.

Website of the Church: The Website of the Church of Saint Teresa

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Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Singapore)

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd:

Other Pictures of the Church:

Chij Chapel (Singapore)

Chij Chapel:

Chij Chapel

Other Pictures of the Church:

Chij Chapel

Saint Andrew’s Cathedral @ Singapore