Nicholas Chia
Encyclopedia
Most. Rev.
Monsignor
Nicholas Gerald Chia Yeck Joo
(Chinese: 谢益裕) (April 8, 1938 – ) D.D.
, S.T.L.
is third and current Roman Catholic Archbishop
of Singapore
and the first Singapore-born clergyman to hold the office. He was educated at both Montfort Junior and Secondary schools.
Archbishop Chia received his Episcopal Consecration
on the 7th of October, 2001 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium
. His consecration was attended by the President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr S. R. Nathan, state dignitaries, sixteen bishop
s, one hundred and ninety priest
s and an estimated 11,000 Roman Catholics, together with representatives of the major religions in Singapore. His Principal Consecrator
was Archbishop
Adriano Bernardini
, whose Principal Co-Consecrators were Archbishops Gregory Yong Sooi Ngean
and Anthony Soter Fernandez.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
is the seat of Archbishop Chia and the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
The coat of arms
of Archbishop Chia consists of a shield
upon an archiepiscopal cross surmounted by a green galero
with 10 gold fiocchi (tassels) suspended on each side. These are standard ecclesiastical heraldic
devices indicating the coat of arms is that of an archbishop.
The flame and dove on the left half of the shield represents the Holy Spirit
. The open book on the right half depicts the Word of God. The fish and wavy blue lines represent Singapore and the Archdiocese. The coat of arms also include Archbishop's motto Omnia Omnibus, which is Latin for all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22).
The coat of arms was designed by a team from the Catholic Audio-Visual Centre, Singapore.
appointed Archbishop Chia to the office, other candidates for the office were current Vicar General Monsignor
Eugene Vaz and then Rector
of St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, Fr. Anthony Ho who has since retired.
Most Reverend
The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Roman Catholic Church , all bishops are styled "The Most Reverend", as well as monsignors of the rank of protonotary apostolic de numero.*In the Roman Catholic Church , archbishops are styled "The...
Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Nicholas Gerald Chia Yeck Joo
Nicholas Chia
Most. 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...
(Chinese: 谢益裕) (April 8, 1938 – ) D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, S.T.L.
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
is third and current Roman Catholic 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...
of 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...
and the first Singapore-born clergyman to hold the office. He was educated at both Montfort Junior and Secondary schools.
Archbishop Chia received his Episcopal Consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the 7th of October, 2001 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium
Singapore Indoor Stadium
Singapore Indoor Stadium is an indoor sports arena, located in Kallang, Singapore.It was completed in 1989 and was officially opened by the, then, prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, on 31 December 1989. The building was built at a cost of S$ 90 million...
. His consecration was attended by the President of the Republic of Singapore, Mr S. R. Nathan, state dignitaries, sixteen 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...
s, one hundred and ninety 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...
s and an estimated 11,000 Roman Catholics, together with representatives of the major religions in Singapore. His Principal Consecrator
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
was 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...
Adriano Bernardini
Adriano Bernardini
Adriano Bernardini is the current Apostolic Nuncio to Italy and San Marino, a post to which he was appointed on 15 November 2011.On 31 March 1968, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rome...
, whose Principal Co-Consecrators were Archbishops Gregory Yong Sooi Ngean
Gregory Yong
Gregory 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....
and Anthony Soter Fernandez.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd 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....
is the seat of Archbishop Chia and the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
Biodata
- (1938) Born on the 8th of April, the third son in a family of six children.
- (1955–1957) Studied in St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, Singapore.
- (1958–1963) Studied in College GeneralCollege GeneralThe College General is a Roman Catholic seminary located in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia. The college's foundation can be traced back to the 1665 establishment of the Seminary of Saint Joseph in Ayuthia which was then the capital of Siam .- Ayuthia :The College General traces its history to...
(Major Seminary), Penang, Malaysia. - (1964) Ordained priest at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore on the 26th of January.
- (1964–1966) Assistant priest, Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Singapore.
- (1966–1967) Studied Mandarin in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- (1967–1969) Assistant priest, Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Singapore.
- (1969–1971) Obtained licentiate in moral theology from the Gregorian University, Rome.
- (1972) Did comparative studies on religions in Rome.
- (1973–1977) Lecturer and Procurator at College General (Major Seminary), Penang, Malaysia.
- (1978–1990) Director of the Singapore Pastoral Institute.
- (1980–2001) Parish priest, Church of the Holy Cross, Singapore.
- (1983–1996) External lecturer at the St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, Singapore.
- (1990–2001) Chaplain to Catholic students in the National University of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeThe National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
. - (1995–2001) Chancellor and Procurator of the Archdiocese of Singapore.
- (2001) Consecrated Archbishop of Singapore.
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 Chia consists of a shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
upon an archiepiscopal cross surmounted by a green galero
Galero
A galero in the Catholic Church is a large, broad-brimmed tasseled hat worn by clergy. Over the centuries the galero was eventually limited in use to individual cardinals as a crown symbolizing the title of Prince of the Church...
with 10 gold fiocchi (tassels) suspended on each side. These are standard ecclesiastical heraldic
Ecclesiastical heraldry
Ecclesiastical heraldry is the tradition of heraldry developed by Christian clergy. Initially used to mark documents, ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people and dioceses. It is most formalized within the Catholic Church, where most bishops, including the Pope, have a...
devices indicating the coat of arms is that of an archbishop.
The flame and dove on the left half of the shield represents the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. The open book on the right half depicts the Word of God. The fish and wavy blue lines represent Singapore and the Archdiocese. The coat of arms also include Archbishop's motto Omnia Omnibus, which is Latin for all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22).
The coat of arms was designed by a team from the Catholic Audio-Visual Centre, Singapore.
Appointment as Archbishop
Prior to his appointment as Archbishop, Archbishop Chia was the Parish Priest to the Church of the Holy Cross. When Archbishop Gregory Yong retired, Vatican CityVatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
appointed Archbishop Chia to the office, other candidates for the office were current Vicar General Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Eugene Vaz and 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 St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, Fr. Anthony Ho who has since retired.
See also
- Archdiocese of Singapore
- Cathedral of the Good ShepherdCathedral of the Good ShepherdThe Cathedral of the Good Shepherd 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....
- 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....