Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral
of the Good Shepherd (Chinese: 善牧主教座堂) is the oldest Roman Catholic
church in Singapore
. It is located in the Museum Planning Area
within the Civic District and affords a welcome respite from the city.
Bounded by the parallel Queen
and Victoria Street
s, and Bras Basah Road
, the Cathedral sits within well-shaded grounds. Much of its architecture is reminiscent of two famous London churches namely St Paul's, Covent Garden
and St Martin-in-the-Fields
.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and the seat of its archbishop
. It is the final resting place of Bishop
Edouard Gasnier, the first bishop of the revived Diocese of Malacca and aptly houses the relics of Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert
, to whom the Cathedral owes its name.
at the house of Denis Lesley McSwiney
.
In 1832, construction began on the first permanent Roman Catholic house of worship in Singapore. Financed through public subscriptions, the chapel, completed by 1833, was a small wood and attap
structure measuring feet long by thirty feet wide that had cost about 700 Spanish dollars to build. The chapel, with neither tower nor spire, was on the site of the former Saint Joseph’s Institution building, now occupied by the Singapore Art Museum
, and allotted by the Resident Councillor, George Bonham to Father Jean-Baptiste Boucho, a French missionary who had come from Penang
. It was located in European Town, an area marked out in Sir Stamford Raffles' 1822 town plan as a residential area for Europeans, Eurasians
and wealthy Asians.
, to keep the site for a school and to build a church elsewhere. The Governor, George Bonham, offered a site on the slopes of Government Hill, now Fort Canning
, but this was turned down by the Bishop. The second offer of land was a site bounded by Victoria Street, Bras Basah Road and Queen Street and was conveniently located near the proposed school, later to be Saint Joseph's Institution
. This site was accepted.
In 1840, a subscription drive was started whereby Queen Marie-Amélie Thérèse of France
and the Archbishop of Manila
contributed 4,000 francs and about 3,000 Spanish dollars respectively. The Government Surveyor, John Turnbull Thomson
, had prepared the first design for the church, but it was considered too expensive to build and difficult to maintain. The design that was accepted was that by Denis Lesley McSwiney
, a design that was said to owe much to George Drumgoole Coleman
's original Saint Andrew's Church
. Charles Andrew Dyce designed the steeple which was modelled on John Turnbull Thomson's design for the second Saint Andrew's Church. On 18 June 1843, the cornerstone for the church was bless
ed by Bishop Jean-Paul-Hilaire-Michel Courvezy, Vicar Apostolic of Malacca
-Singapore, and was laid by John Connolly, a merchant.
On 6 June 1847, the completed church was blessed and opened by Father Jean-Marie Beurel. The total payments amounted to 18,355.22 Spanish dollars.
in the cathedral in 1896. Although the church was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1888, the consecration ceremony was performed only on 14 February 1897 when the cathedral had finally repaid its debts incurred from the extension of the nave in 1889. Improvements were gradually made to the cathedral. The dwarf wall, gate pillars, and ornamental cast iron gates and railings around the grounds were completed in 1908. The Gallery Organ was in place by 1912, while electric lighting came in 1913 and electric fans in 1914.
During the invasion of Singapore during World War II
, the Cathedral was used as an emergency hospital.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was gazetted a national monument
on 6 July 1973.
.jpg)
, who died a martyr
in Korea
, was probably the first priest
to visit Singapore.
The dedication
of the church to the Good Shepherd stems from the note written by Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert to his fellow missionaries, Saints Pierre-Philibert Maubant and Jacques-Honoré Chastan, asking them to surrender to the Korean authorities to save their flocks from extermination during a period of Christian persecution
in Korea. He had written, In desperate circumstances, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. They did and the three of them were beheaded on 21 September 1839. News of this and their martyrdom reached Singapore at the time when an appropriate name was being considered for the church. The choice was made at the suggestion of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Boucho.
style. Its portico
s are in the Palladian manner, which was established here by George Drumgoole Coleman. Its plan is in the form of a Latin cross and like all traditional churches, it is orientated east. Its high timber ceiling and its sensitive and harmonious use of round arches lend the building much grace and charm.
s in the Ionic order
. On each façade is an arched window. The four façades are topped with pediment
s ornamented with a circle. The cathedral's three bells are located inside this section and are decorated with religious motifs. Cast by the Auguste Hildebrand Foundry in Paris, the bells were originally hung for swing chiming, but electric tolling hammers have since replaced the long ropes for stationary chiming. On the second section of the steeple is an octagon with each corner of the octagon marked by an engaged column in the Tuscan order
. On each façade is a narrow rectangular window. The eight façades are topped with pediments.
and the one fronting Victoria Street, all are surmounted with a cross. The main entrance at the west end of the cathedral serves as the porte-cochère
. The two side entrances at the nave
are in the form of diminutive porticos and are smaller and less imposing then the entrances at the ends of the transept.
At the main entrance are three doors. Apart from the main entrance, all other entrances, except for the one fronting Victoria Street, have only one door. The entrance fronting Victoria Street had three doors initially until the walling up of the centre door. All doors are double-leaf, of timber construct and, except for the two fronting Victoria Street, all are panelled. While the doors of the two side entrances at the nave are double the height of the doors found at the ends of the transept, these four doors have each a stained-glass window over them.
Over the centre door at the main entrance is the coat of arms
of Archbishop Nicholas Chia. It includes the motto Omnia Omnibus, which is Latin for All Things to All Men (1 Corinthians
9:22). Above the coat of arms is a statue of the Good Shepherd in a niche, with an inscription over it that reads I am the Good Shepherd. Over each of the two doors flanking the centre door is an arched window.
and Saint Francis Xavier
, the four cast iron Composite
columns supporting the gallery, and the two cast iron spiral staircases leading to the gallery. Nearby to the left sits a statue of the Pietà
and a statue of Saint Joseph
stands at the other end.
The eight large windows at the nave together with the other six at the transept and two at the sacristy
are arched. There were originally eight large windows at the transept until the walling up of the two fronting Victoria Street. The original timber louvered casements of the windows were replaced by glass shutters after World War II. The stained glasses in the nave and transept were presented to the cathedral by Bishop Charles Arsène Bourdon.
The timber ceiling is in a concave form and is made up of three rows of six rectangular panels. All eighteen panels are ornamented with each having a rectangular border and a circle in their centres. The circles in the centre row are larger and more elaborate then those in the side rows. From the centre of each circle hangs a lamp. The ceiling edge ends in a border of heavily moulded plaster that runs along the length of the cathedral.
There are two confession
als to the left and right side of the nave and they are topped with pediments ornamented with a circle and cross at the centre. The set of fourteen oil paintings on the walls of the nave depict the Way of the Cross
. At the crossing
is the final resting place of Bishop Edouard Gasnier, the first bishop of the revived Diocese of Malacca.
and a trumpeting angel.
. It is framed by a pediment and four pilaster
s - two pilasters on a pedestal
on either side of it. At the foot of the crucifix is the cathedra
of Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo. Just in front of it is the main altar
on which the priest performs the Sacrifice of the Mass. On either side of the main altar are doors that lead to the sacristy. The four crosses engraved on marble slabs in the sanctuary together with the other eight in the nave make up the twelve consecration crosses put in place on the interior walls around the cathedral for its consecration in 1897. They may never be removed and are proof, in the absence of documents, that a church has been consecrated.
is located. The statue of Our Mother of Good Counsel and the stained-glass window over the door hints to its previous designation as the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the walls are memorial
plaques to early personalities of the church, notably, John Connolly and Bishop Michel-Esther Le Turdu. The relics of Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert can be found enshrined in the wall at the right side of the door.
in a niche topped by a pediment and flanked by two pilasters - each pilaster on a pedestal on either side of it. This is the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel. It takes the place of what was originally the Chapel of Saint Joseph
. On the wall to the left of the Tabernacle is a memorial plaque to Father Jean-Marie Beurel.
, the Glorious Cross of 7.38 meters and a statue of the Virgin Mary. A statue of the Good Shepherd stands opposite the entrance at the south transept.
Founded in 1970, the choir served at the Church of the Risen Christ
for 32 years before being installed at the Cathedral on 14 April 2002.
The motto of the Choir is Pro Pontifice et Patria, which is Latin for For Pope and Country.
Dedicated on 20 October 1912 by Bishop Emile Barillon, the Gallery Organ is a two-manual and pedal Bevington & Sons instrument which cost 5894.61 sterling pounds
to build, ship and install. To date, it has 28 working stops, the result of various additions and alterations made to the original organ by Singapore's sole organ builder, Robert Navaratnam.
Ranks such as the retrofitted 8' Trumpet are used on more than one stop, and the organ also incorporates pipework from various now-defunct organs, notably the Bombarde 16' from the former St. Clair Organ that once resided in the Victoria Concert Hall. Recently, even this rank has had a number of pipes replaced yet again.
The Gallery Organ is easily recognised from its unusual asymmetric façade - only the central organ case is original, the left and right wings added by Navaratnam. The action, once electropneumatic, is now fully direct-electric. This causes occasional problems with non-sounding notes and ciphers, resulting from the ingress of dirt into an open building and the general humidity. It is to date, the oldest playable organ in Singapore and is still regularly used for Masses.
The 9-rank Choir Organ was built in 1994 by Robert Navaratnam, utilising old pipework from various other organs. This is also a two-manual-and-pedal instrument, the pipework housed in an enclosed chamber supported by steel square beams over the choir stalls. There is no pipework for the pedal division and no expression shoe for the pipework.
At the end of 2005, the old Conn console shell was replaced with an old Allen electronic console. This replacement included working Allen electronic stops which can be used to add colour to the nine ranks of pipes and also supplies the otherwise non-existent pedal division in order to balance the chorus. The expression shoe supplies expression for the electronic stops only.
There is little literature available on the organs. In 2005, Lin Yangchen published an article titled Singapore's Answer to Notre Dame de Paris in The Organ describing both instruments in detail (The Organ 334:8-10). He describes the unique situation presented by having separate organs in the same building, which makes possible a dialogue between the Gallery and Choir Organs. In fact, this does happen during solemn occasions and when two organists are present. The choir and congregation are then accompanied separately.
Sketches of information on the older organ are available mostly through personal accounts. An elderly parishioner recounted helping out on Sundays as a young boy by operating the manual air pump
of the organ. By the 1960s, the Gallery Organ became so dilapidated that it remained silent for nearly two decades.
Hugo Loos, a Belgian engineer then based in Singapore, volunteered his services as both organist and repairman. Driven by his passion and love for pipe organs, he was able to render minor repairs but much work was still required. Towards the end of 1983, the then rector
of the cathedral, Father Robert Balhetchet, was introduced to Navaratnam, who had been trained as a pipe organ builder in Germany
. The organ has since been in the care of Navaratnam, who also plays for services at the cathedral.
On 16 December 1984, a concert was organised in conjunction with the rededication of the Gallery Organ. Dr Margaret Chen, curator of the Klais Organ at the Victoria Concert Hall and a well-known Singaporean organist, was one of the performers.
Organ recitals today are few and far between, the last two having been played on the Gallery Organ by Markus Grohmann, a visiting German organist in August 2005, and Arthur Lamirande of New York in 2007.
The Roman Catholic Church in Singapore was initially under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Malacca erected in 1558. She was transferred to the Vicariate Apostolic of Ava and Pegu in 1838 and then the Vicariate Apostolic of Siam in 1840. In 1841, the Roman Catholic Church in Singapore was placed under the jurisdiction of the Vicariate Apostolic of Western Siam that was erected from the Vicariate Apostolic of Siam. Initially called the Vicariate Apostolic of Western Siam, the name was changed to the Vicariate Apostolic of the Malay Peninsula and finally the Vicariate Apostolic of Malacca-Singapore.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd currently also has these following organisations :
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Good Shepherd (Chinese: 善牧主教座堂) is the oldest Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It is located in the Museum Planning Area
Museum Planning Area
The Museum Planning Area is an urban planning area in the Central Region of Singapore. It is located in the area known as the Civic District. The area plays a "bridging role" between the Orchard Street area and the Downtown Core, which necessitates proper transport networks for vehicles,...
within the Civic District and affords a welcome respite from the city.
Bounded by the parallel Queen
Queen Street, Singapore
Queen Street is one of the oldest streets in Singapore and once had a very strong Eurasian presence. Beginning at Arab street, Queen Street forms major junctions with Ophir Road, Rochor Road, Middle Road and Bras Basah Road before ending at the junction of Stamford Road and Armenian Street.The area...
and Victoria Street
Victoria Street, Singapore
Victoria Street [Tamil]: விக்டோரியா ஸ்திரீட் is a street located in the Central Area of Singapore. The street starts at Victoria Bridge at the end of Kallang Road, after the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority building, in the north and continues as Hill Street at its junction with Stamford Road...
s, and Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road is a one-way road in Singapore in the planning areas of Museum and Downtown Core. The road starts at the junction of Orchard Road and Handy Road, at the ERP gantry towards the Central Business District, and ends at the junction of Nicoll Highway and Raffles Boulevard which then...
, the Cathedral sits within well-shaded grounds. Much of its architecture is reminiscent of two famous London churches namely St Paul's, Covent Garden
St Paul's, Covent Garden
St Paul's Church, also commonly known as the Actors' Church, is a church designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission by Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fitt for the habitacons of Gentlemen and men of ability" in Covent Garden, London, England.As well...
and St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and the seat of its archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
. It is the final resting place of Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Edouard Gasnier, the first bishop of the revived Diocese of Malacca and aptly houses the relics of Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert
Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert
-Biography:Imbert was born at Marignane. He studied at the seminary of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, France in 1818.Ordained on 18 December 1819, he was sent as a missionary to China in 1820....
, to whom the Cathedral owes its name.
Chapel
In the beginning, the Roman Catholic community in Singapore attended MassMass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
at the house of Denis Lesley McSwiney
Denis Lesley McSwiney
Denis Lesley McSwiney came to Singapore in 1828 and was responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Having been a merchant and contractor, he was at one time a clerk to George Drumgoole Coleman...
.
In 1832, construction began on the first permanent Roman Catholic house of worship in Singapore. Financed through public subscriptions, the chapel, completed by 1833, was a small wood and attap
Nypa fruticans
Nypa fruticans, known as the attap palm , nipa palm , and mangrove palm or buah atap , buah nipah , dừa nước , Ging Pol in Sinhala in Sri Lanka and gol pata , dani . It is the only palm considered a mangrove in the Mangroves Biome...
structure measuring feet long by thirty feet wide that had cost about 700 Spanish dollars to build. The chapel, with neither tower nor spire, was on the site of the former Saint Joseph’s Institution building, now occupied by the Singapore Art Museum
Singapore Art Museum
The Singapore Art Museum contains the national art collection of Singapore. It has a collection of 7,750 pieces of Singaporean and Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art, and has an expanding collection of new Asian and international contemporary art.- History :Officially opened in 1996, it...
, and allotted by the Resident Councillor, George Bonham to Father Jean-Baptiste Boucho, a French missionary who had come from Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
. It was located in European Town, an area marked out in Sir Stamford Raffles' 1822 town plan as a residential area for Europeans, Eurasians
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
and wealthy Asians.
Church of the Good Shepherd
By the end of the 1830s, the chapel had become too small. Bishop Jean-Paul-Hilaire-Michel Courvezy, Vicar Apostolic of Siam, considered extending the chapel but was persuaded by the newly arrived Parish Priest, Father Jean-Marie BeurelJean-Marie Beurel
Jean-Marie Beurel was born on 5 February 1813 at Plouguenast, in Lower Brittany, France. He was assigned to the Mission of Siam by the Missions Étrangères de Paris and arrived in Singapore on 27 October 1839 at the age of 26...
, to keep the site for a school and to build a church elsewhere. The Governor, George Bonham, offered a site on the slopes of Government Hill, now Fort Canning
Fort Canning
Fort Canning is a small hill slightly more than 60 metres high in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district...
, but this was turned down by the Bishop. The second offer of land was a site bounded by Victoria Street, Bras Basah Road and Queen Street and was conveniently located near the proposed school, later to be Saint Joseph's Institution
Saint Joseph's Institution
Saint Joseph's Institution is a Catholic secondary school for male students in Singapore. It was founded in 1852 as "Saint John's Institution", and is the third oldest educational institution in Singapore .SJI provides an education to boys of all races and...
. This site was accepted.
In 1840, a subscription drive was started whereby Queen Marie-Amélie Thérèse of France
Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies
Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily sometimes known as Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies was a Princess of Naples and Sicily and later the Queen of the French from 1830–1848, consort to Louis Philippe I....
and the Archbishop of Manila
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila or Archdiocese of Manila is a particular Church or Diocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It is also considered as the primatial see of the country, currently headed by the Archbishop of Manila and it enjoys primacy over the other dioceses in...
contributed 4,000 francs and about 3,000 Spanish dollars respectively. The Government Surveyor, John Turnbull Thomson
John Turnbull Thomson
John Turnbull Thomson was a British civil engineer and artist who played an instrumental role in the development of the early infrastructure of nineteenth century Singapore and New Zealand. -Biography:...
, had prepared the first design for the church, but it was considered too expensive to build and difficult to maintain. The design that was accepted was that by Denis Lesley McSwiney
Denis Lesley McSwiney
Denis Lesley McSwiney came to Singapore in 1828 and was responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Having been a merchant and contractor, he was at one time a clerk to George Drumgoole Coleman...
, a design that was said to owe much to George Drumgoole Coleman
George Drumgoole Coleman
George Drumgoole Coleman , also known as George Drumgold Coleman, was an Irish civil architect who played an instrumental role in the design and construction of much of the civil infrastructure in Singapore, after the island was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819.Born in Drogheda County Louth,...
's original Saint Andrew's Church
St Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
Saint Andrew's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Singapore, the country's largest cathedral. It is located near City Hall MRT Interchange in the Downtown Core, within the Central Area in Singapore's central business district. It is the Cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore and...
. Charles Andrew Dyce designed the steeple which was modelled on John Turnbull Thomson's design for the second Saint Andrew's Church. On 18 June 1843, the cornerstone for the church was bless
Blessing (Roman Catholic Church)
Blessing in Roman Catholicism, in the narrow liturgical sense, is a rite consisting of a ceremony and prayers performed in the name and with the authority of the Church by a duly qualified minister by which persons or things are sanctified as dedicated to Divine service or by which certain marks of...
ed by Bishop Jean-Paul-Hilaire-Michel Courvezy, Vicar Apostolic of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
-Singapore, and was laid by John Connolly, a merchant.
On 6 June 1847, the completed church was blessed and opened by Father Jean-Marie Beurel. The total payments amounted to 18,355.22 Spanish dollars.
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
In 1888, the church was elevated to the status of cathedral when the Diocese of Malacca was revived. Bishop Edouard Gasnier, the first bishop of the revived Diocese of Malacca died in 1896 and is interred in the cathedral. His successor, Bishop René-Michel-Marie Fée, was the first bishop consecratedConsecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in the cathedral in 1896. Although the church was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1888, the consecration ceremony was performed only on 14 February 1897 when the cathedral had finally repaid its debts incurred from the extension of the nave in 1889. Improvements were gradually made to the cathedral. The dwarf wall, gate pillars, and ornamental cast iron gates and railings around the grounds were completed in 1908. The Gallery Organ was in place by 1912, while electric lighting came in 1913 and electric fans in 1914.
During the invasion of Singapore during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Cathedral was used as an emergency hospital.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was gazetted a national monument
National Monuments of Singapore
National Monuments of Singapore are buildings and structures in Singapore that have been designated by the Preservation of Monuments Board as being of special historic, traditional, archaeological, architectural or artistic value....
on 6 July 1973.
Rationale for name
Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph ImbertSaint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert
-Biography:Imbert was born at Marignane. He studied at the seminary of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, France in 1818.Ordained on 18 December 1819, he was sent as a missionary to China in 1820....
, who died a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, was probably the first priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
to visit Singapore.
The dedication
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
of the church to the Good Shepherd stems from the note written by Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert to his fellow missionaries, Saints Pierre-Philibert Maubant and Jacques-Honoré Chastan, asking them to surrender to the Korean authorities to save their flocks from extermination during a period of Christian persecution
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
in Korea. He had written, In desperate circumstances, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. They did and the three of them were beheaded on 21 September 1839. News of this and their martyrdom reached Singapore at the time when an appropriate name was being considered for the church. The choice was made at the suggestion of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Boucho.
Significant dates
- 1833 — First permanent Roman Catholic house of worship in Singapore blessed and opened.
- 1843 — Foundation stone laid by John Connolly on the Feast of Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi (feast)Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
. - 1847 — Church of the Good Shepherd blessed and opened by Father Jean-Marie Beurel.
- 1859 — Original Parochial House (now Archbishop’s House) completed.
- 1888 — Elevated to the status of cathedral when the Diocese of Malacca was revived.
- 1889 — Extension of the nave at the west end completed.
- 1897 — Consecration of the Cathedral by Bishop René-Michel-Marie Fée.
- 1908 — Dwarf wall, gate pillars, and ornamental cast iron gates and railings around the grounds completed.
- 1911 — Second Parochial House (now Cathedral Rectory) designed by Father Charles-Benedict Nain completed.
- 1912 — Gallery Organ dedicated by Bishop Marie-Luc-Alphonse-Emile Barillon.
- 1913-1914 — Electric lights and fans introduced.
- 1942 — Used as an emergency hospital during the invasion of Singapore.
- 1973 — Gazetted a national monument.
- 1983 — Sanctuary remodeled.
- 1992 — Widening of Victoria Street causing the boundary of the grounds to be moved back.
- 1994 — Choir Organ built by Robert Navaratnam.
- 1997-1999 — Major restoration.
- 2011-? - Second Major restoration.
Architecture
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is built in a restrained RenaissanceRenaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style. Its portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
s are in the Palladian manner, which was established here by George Drumgoole Coleman. Its plan is in the form of a Latin cross and like all traditional churches, it is orientated east. Its high timber ceiling and its sensitive and harmonious use of round arches lend the building much grace and charm.
Steeple
The steeple, surmounted by a cross, consists of two sections. The first section is a square with each corner of the square marked by three engaged columnEngaged column
In architecture, an engaged column is a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes defined as semi or three-quarter detached...
s in the Ionic order
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
. On each façade is an arched window. The four façades are topped with pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
s ornamented with a circle. The cathedral's three bells are located inside this section and are decorated with religious motifs. Cast by the Auguste Hildebrand Foundry in Paris, the bells were originally hung for swing chiming, but electric tolling hammers have since replaced the long ropes for stationary chiming. On the second section of the steeple is an octagon with each corner of the octagon marked by an engaged column in the Tuscan order
Tuscan order
Among canon of classical orders of classical architecture, the Tuscan order's place is due to the influence of the Italian Sebastiano Serlio, who meticulously described the five orders including a "Tuscan order", "the solidest and least ornate", in his fourth book of Regole generalii di...
. On each façade is a narrow rectangular window. The eight façades are topped with pediments.
Entrances
There are six entrances into the cathedral with the one fronting Victoria Street closed to public access. The entrances are porticoed and have heavily moulded pediments. All pediments are ornamented with a moulded circle at the centre and, except for the ones at the ends of the transeptTransept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
and the one fronting Victoria Street, all are surmounted with a cross. The main entrance at the west end of the cathedral serves as the porte-cochère
Porte-cochere
A porte-cochère is the architectural term for a porch- or portico-like structure at a main or secondary entrance to a building through which a horse and carriage can pass in order for the occupants to alight under cover, protected from the weather.The porte-cochère was a feature of many late 18th...
. The two side entrances at the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
are in the form of diminutive porticos and are smaller and less imposing then the entrances at the ends of the transept.
At the main entrance are three doors. Apart from the main entrance, all other entrances, except for the one fronting Victoria Street, have only one door. The entrance fronting Victoria Street had three doors initially until the walling up of the centre door. All doors are double-leaf, of timber construct and, except for the two fronting Victoria Street, all are panelled. While the doors of the two side entrances at the nave are double the height of the doors found at the ends of the transept, these four doors have each a stained-glass window over them.
Over the centre door at the main entrance is the coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Archbishop Nicholas Chia. It includes the motto Omnia Omnibus, which is Latin for All Things to All Men (1 Corinthians
First Epistle to the Corinthians
The first epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as First Corinthians , is the seventh book of the New Testament of the Bible...
9:22). Above the coat of arms is a statue of the Good Shepherd in a niche, with an inscription over it that reads I am the Good Shepherd. Over each of the two doors flanking the centre door is an arched window.
Nave
Upon entering the cathedral through the centre door at the main entrance, one will see the statues of Saint Anthony of PaduaAnthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
and Saint Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
, the four cast iron Composite
Composite order
The composite order is a mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic order capital with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order. The composite order volutes are larger, however, and the composite order also has echinus molding with egg-and-dart ornamentation between the volutes...
columns supporting the gallery, and the two cast iron spiral staircases leading to the gallery. Nearby to the left sits a statue of the Pietà
Pietà
The Pietà is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture. As such, it is a particular form of the Lamentation of Christ, a scene from the Passion of Christ found in cycles of the Life of Christ...
and a statue of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
stands at the other end.
The eight large windows at the nave together with the other six at the transept and two at the sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
are arched. There were originally eight large windows at the transept until the walling up of the two fronting Victoria Street. The original timber louvered casements of the windows were replaced by glass shutters after World War II. The stained glasses in the nave and transept were presented to the cathedral by Bishop Charles Arsène Bourdon.
The timber ceiling is in a concave form and is made up of three rows of six rectangular panels. All eighteen panels are ornamented with each having a rectangular border and a circle in their centres. The circles in the centre row are larger and more elaborate then those in the side rows. From the centre of each circle hangs a lamp. The ceiling edge ends in a border of heavily moulded plaster that runs along the length of the cathedral.
There are two confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
als to the left and right side of the nave and they are topped with pediments ornamented with a circle and cross at the centre. The set of fourteen oil paintings on the walls of the nave depict the Way of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
. At the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
is the final resting place of Bishop Edouard Gasnier, the first bishop of the revived Diocese of Malacca.
Gallery
The gallery, which is closed to public access, houses the Gallery Organ, a statue of Saint CeciliaSaint Cecilia
Saint Cecilia is the patroness of musicians and Church music because as she was dying she sang to God. It is also written that as the musicians played at her wedding she "sang in her heart to the Lord". St. Cecilia was an only child. Her feast day is celebrated in the Roman Catholic, Anglican,...
and a trumpeting angel.
Sanctuary
On the wall of the sanctuary is a crucifixCrucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
. It is framed by a pediment and four pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s - two pilasters on a pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
on either side of it. At the foot of the crucifix is the cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
of Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo. Just in front of it is the main altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
on which the priest performs the Sacrifice of the Mass. On either side of the main altar are doors that lead to the sacristy. The four crosses engraved on marble slabs in the sanctuary together with the other eight in the nave make up the twelve consecration crosses put in place on the interior walls around the cathedral for its consecration in 1897. They may never be removed and are proof, in the absence of documents, that a church has been consecrated.
North Transept
In the north transept stands a statue of Our Mother of Good Counsel in a niche topped by a pediment and flanked by two pilasters - each pilaster on a pedestal on either side of it. The north transept is where the BaptisteryBaptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistry or baptistery is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistry may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral and be provided with an altar as a chapel...
is located. The statue of Our Mother of Good Counsel and the stained-glass window over the door hints to its previous designation as the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the walls are memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
plaques to early personalities of the church, notably, John Connolly and Bishop Michel-Esther Le Turdu. The relics of Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert can be found enshrined in the wall at the right side of the door.
South Transept
In the south transept stands the TabernacleChurch tabernacle
A tabernacle is the fixed, locked box in which, in some Christian churches, the Eucharist is "reserved" . A less obvious container, set into the wall, is called an aumbry....
in a niche topped by a pediment and flanked by two pilasters - each pilaster on a pedestal on either side of it. This is the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
Chapel. It takes the place of what was originally the Chapel of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
. On the wall to the left of the Tabernacle is a memorial plaque to Father Jean-Marie Beurel.
Grounds
Outside on the grounds of the cathedral near the main entrance is a bronze life-size statue of the late Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, the Glorious Cross of 7.38 meters and a statue of the Virgin Mary. A statue of the Good Shepherd stands opposite the entrance at the south transept.
Other buildings
Apart from the cathedral itself, there are four other buildings within the grounds of the cathedral:- Archbishop's House is a simple, unadorned nineteenth-century two-storey bungalowBungalowA bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
with a projecting portico. Its enclosed verandahVerandahA veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
s were previously open-aired.
- The Resident's Quarters is a U-shaped single-storey building with handsome Tuscan columns rising from the ground.
- The Cathedral RectoryRectoryA rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
is an ornate early twentieth century two-storey rusticated bungalow with decorative plasterwork. There is a covered linkway to a rectangular single-storey building at its rear.
Choir
The Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ sings at the Sunday Solemn Mass and at all important liturgies and functions. It is a mixed voice choir of around 75 members comprising both students and working professionals.Founded in 1970, the choir served at the Church of the Risen Christ
Church of the Risen Christ
Church of the Risen Christ is a Roman Catholic church in Singapore. It is located in the Toa Payoh Housing Estate and was founded in 1971.-Construction:...
for 32 years before being installed at the Cathedral on 14 April 2002.
The motto of the Choir is Pro Pontifice et Patria, which is Latin for For Pope and Country.
Organs
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd houses two pipe organs - the Gallery Organ in the second floor gallery and the Choir Organ in an elevated box in the north transept. It is notable that the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the only church in Singapore to have two organs that can sound within the same space.Dedicated on 20 October 1912 by Bishop Emile Barillon, the Gallery Organ is a two-manual and pedal Bevington & Sons instrument which cost 5894.61 sterling pounds
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
to build, ship and install. To date, it has 28 working stops, the result of various additions and alterations made to the original organ by Singapore's sole organ builder, Robert Navaratnam.
Ranks such as the retrofitted 8' Trumpet are used on more than one stop, and the organ also incorporates pipework from various now-defunct organs, notably the Bombarde 16' from the former St. Clair Organ that once resided in the Victoria Concert Hall. Recently, even this rank has had a number of pipes replaced yet again.
The Gallery Organ is easily recognised from its unusual asymmetric façade - only the central organ case is original, the left and right wings added by Navaratnam. The action, once electropneumatic, is now fully direct-electric. This causes occasional problems with non-sounding notes and ciphers, resulting from the ingress of dirt into an open building and the general humidity. It is to date, the oldest playable organ in Singapore and is still regularly used for Masses.
The 9-rank Choir Organ was built in 1994 by Robert Navaratnam, utilising old pipework from various other organs. This is also a two-manual-and-pedal instrument, the pipework housed in an enclosed chamber supported by steel square beams over the choir stalls. There is no pipework for the pedal division and no expression shoe for the pipework.
At the end of 2005, the old Conn console shell was replaced with an old Allen electronic console. This replacement included working Allen electronic stops which can be used to add colour to the nine ranks of pipes and also supplies the otherwise non-existent pedal division in order to balance the chorus. The expression shoe supplies expression for the electronic stops only.
There is little literature available on the organs. In 2005, Lin Yangchen published an article titled Singapore's Answer to Notre Dame de Paris in The Organ describing both instruments in detail (The Organ 334:8-10). He describes the unique situation presented by having separate organs in the same building, which makes possible a dialogue between the Gallery and Choir Organs. In fact, this does happen during solemn occasions and when two organists are present. The choir and congregation are then accompanied separately.
Sketches of information on the older organ are available mostly through personal accounts. An elderly parishioner recounted helping out on Sundays as a young boy by operating the manual air pump
Air pump
An air pump is a device for pushing air. Examples include a bicycle pump, pumps that are used to aerate an aquarium or a pond via an airstone; a gas compressor used to power a pneumatic tool, air horn or pipe organ; a bellows used to encourage a fire; and a vacuum pump.The first effective air pump...
of the organ. By the 1960s, the Gallery Organ became so dilapidated that it remained silent for nearly two decades.
Hugo Loos, a Belgian engineer then based in Singapore, volunteered his services as both organist and repairman. Driven by his passion and love for pipe organs, he was able to render minor repairs but much work was still required. Towards the end of 1983, the then rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the cathedral, Father Robert Balhetchet, was introduced to Navaratnam, who had been trained as a pipe organ builder in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The organ has since been in the care of Navaratnam, who also plays for services at the cathedral.
On 16 December 1984, a concert was organised in conjunction with the rededication of the Gallery Organ. Dr Margaret Chen, curator of the Klais Organ at the Victoria Concert Hall and a well-known Singaporean organist, was one of the performers.
Organ recitals today are few and far between, the last two having been played on the Gallery Organ by Markus Grohmann, a visiting German organist in August 2005, and Arthur Lamirande of New York in 2007.
Ecclesiastical status
- Vicariate Apostolic of Malacca-Singapore
- (1841–1844) Bishop Jean-Paul-Hilaire-Michel Courvezy (Vicar Apostolic of Siam from 1834–1841)
- (1845–1871) Bishop Jean-Baptiste Boucho
- (1871–1877) Bishop Michel-Esther Le Turdu
- (1878–1888) Bishop Edouard Gasnier
- Diocese of Malacca
- (1888–1896) Bishop Edouard Gasnier
- (1896–1904) Bishop René-Michel-Marie Fée
- (1904–1933) Bishop Marie-Luc-Alphonse-Emile Barillon
- (1934–1945) Bishop Adrien Pierre Devals
- (1947–1953) Bishop Michel Olçomendy
- Archdiocese of Malacca
- (1953–1955) Archbishop Michel Olçomendy
- Archdiocese of Malacca-SingaporeArchdiocese of Malacca-SingaporeThe Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore was an archdiocese in Malaysia and Singapore.-History:It was established as the , and elevated to Archdiocese level in 1953....
(Metropolitan See)- (1955–1972) Archbishop Michel Olçomendy
- Archdiocese of Singapore
- (1972–1976) Archbishop Michel Olçomendy
- (1977–2000) Archbishop Gregory Yong Sooi NgeanGregory YongGregory Yong Sooi Ngean , D.D. D.C.L was the second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore. Archbishop Gregory Yong died on 28 June 2008 of a heart failure....
- (2001–present) Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck JooNicholas ChiaMost. Rev. Monsignor Nicholas Gerald Chia Yeck Joo D.D., S.T.L. is third and current Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore and the first Singapore-born clergyman to hold the office...
Times of Services
- Public Services
- The Cathedral opens shortly before the first Mass of the day.
- Doors close at 6.00pm, Monday to Friday, and after evening Mass, Saturday and Sunday, with occasional exceptions.
- Masses in English
- Saturday: 7.00am (Morning Mass); and 6.30pm (Mass of Anticipation)
- Sunday: 8.00am (Morning Mass); 10.00am (Solemn High Mass); and 6.00pm (Mass at Sunset)
- Monday to Friday: 7.00am (Morning Mass); and 1.15pm (Lunchtime Mass - except on Public Holidays)
- Masses in Korean
- Wednesday: 10.00am
- Saturday: 3.00pm (Children’s Mass)
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Sunday: 12.00noon
- Mass in Tagalog
- 4th Sunday: 11.30am
- Sacrament of Reconciliation
- Confessions in English are heard 30 minutes before Masses in English
- Confessions to be heard in Korean or Tagalog are by appointment only.
Organisation
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is currently under the administration of 2 priests of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and one priest administering to the Korean Catholic community in Singapore :- Rev Fr Adrian Anthony (Rector of the Cathedral)
- Rev Msgr Francis Lau (Assistant Rector of the Cathedral)
- Rev Fr Louis Kim Soo Chang (Korean Catholic Community)
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd currently also has these following organisations :
- Altar ServersAltar serverAn altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
(Cathedral of the Good Shepherd Altar Servers Ministry) - The Cathedral Choir of the Risen Christ
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy CommunionExtraordinary Ministers of Holy CommunionAn extraordinary minister of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church is, under the Code of Canon Law, "an acolyte, or another of Christ's faithful deputed", in certain circumstances, to distribute Holy Communion...
- Cathedral Wardens Ministry
- Lectors
- Cantors
Restoration Fund
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd appealed for donations for its Cathedral Restoration Fund, which aims to restore the cathedral premises as there are cracks and other structural faults in the building. This is due to Land Transport Authority (LTA) works during the construction of the Bras Basah MRT station, and natural wear and tear over its hundred over years history, which may affect the structural integrity of the cathedral. The cathedral needs around S$ 40 million, of which S$ 8 million has been raised.See also
- Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph ImbertSaint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert-Biography:Imbert was born at Marignane. He studied at the seminary of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, France in 1818.Ordained on 18 December 1819, he was sent as a missionary to China in 1820....
- Father Jean-Marie BeurelJean-Marie BeurelJean-Marie Beurel was born on 5 February 1813 at Plouguenast, in Lower Brittany, France. He was assigned to the Mission of Siam by the Missions Étrangères de Paris and arrived in Singapore on 27 October 1839 at the age of 26...
- Denis Lesley McSwineyDenis Lesley McSwineyDenis Lesley McSwiney came to Singapore in 1828 and was responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Having been a merchant and contractor, he was at one time a clerk to George Drumgoole Coleman...
- Charles Andrew Dyce
- Archbishop Emeritus Gregory Yong Sooi NgeanGregory YongGregory Yong Sooi Ngean , D.D. D.C.L was the second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore. Archbishop Gregory Yong died on 28 June 2008 of a heart failure....
- Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck JooNicholas ChiaMost. Rev. Monsignor Nicholas Gerald Chia Yeck Joo D.D., S.T.L. is third and current Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore and the first Singapore-born clergyman to hold the office...
- Archdiocese of Singapore
- Roman Catholicism in SingaporeRoman Catholicism in SingaporeRoman Catholicism is practiced by about 4.6% of Singapore's populace, or about 210,000 people. Roman Catholicism is practiced by people of Chinese and Eurasian descent, along with a Filipino, Indian and European minority.- History :...