St. Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam
Encyclopedia
St Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam is a famous Roman Catholic
church located in Bukit Mertajam
, Penang
, Malaysia. It is one of the parishes in the Diocese of Penang
. Its annual celebration of the feast
of St Anne
regularly attracts over 100,000 pilgrims from Malaysia as well as neighbouring countries like Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. The celebrations lasts for 10 days, and includes the actual feast day on 26 July.
, the church grounds were designated as a no-go area. It was only in 1960 that the emergency was lifted. In 1977, the church started moving back to the St. Anne's Shrine and restoration works begin, due to being abandoned for a long time. The stained glass inside and one of the three bells were recovered.
The parish moved further down the road and in 1958, the parish opened another church. This church was known as the "new church" for over 40 years, and was the main centre for the parish and the feast celebrations until 2003. In these years of the feast, pilgrims had to commute between this church and St. Anne's Shrine, which is 2 km away. This grounds now occupies the Kim Sen Primary School.
The 1990s to 2000s saw a major transformation for this church. In 2002, another new church was built. This church could fit 1,500 people, and is one of the largest churches in Malaysia. Work on the new St Anne's Church started in 2000 and was completed two years later. It was opened by the then Apostlic Delegate to Malaysia in 26 July 2002. This church has Minangkabau roofs, truly reflecting the Malaysian culture. Not only was a new church constructed, an avenue named Dataran St. Anne was constructed in front of the church. In view of turning St. Anne's Church into a pilgrim centre, Domus St Anne was also built to accommodate pilgrims who intend to stay over. A parish office, parish community centre and presbytery were also built, thus enlarging the sanctuary grounds.
In 2006, the church installed 'Statues of Passion' at a cost of RM
600,000. These statues depict the stations of the cross
. A grotto dedicated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary was opened in 26 July 2008. In June 2010, a second accommodation place, St. Anne's Dorm, was opened by the then parish priest Msgr. Stephen Liew. Currently, the parish priest is Fr. Henry Rajoo and his assistant is Fr. Martin Arlando. At present, St. Anne's Church also administers 2 chapels, namely Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in Alma
, and Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima in Berapit.
and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Pilgrims, estimated to be around 100,000, come from Malaysia, neighbouring countries and further afield.
7:00am English (Tuesday-Friday)
Sunday Masses
8:00am English
10:00am Mandarin
11:00am English (St. Anne's Shrine)-1st Sunday of the month
5:00pm Tamil
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 located in Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam is the capital of Central Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. It is commonly known as BM among its locals. It is located nearby Kulim, Kedah.-About:...
, 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...
, Malaysia. It is one of the parishes in the Diocese of Penang
Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang is situated in the northern region of Malaysia covering 5 states, namely Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. It was created in 25 February 1955 together with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.-History:...
. Its annual celebration of the feast
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
of St Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
regularly attracts over 100,000 pilgrims from Malaysia as well as neighbouring countries like Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. The celebrations lasts for 10 days, and includes the actual feast day on 26 July.
History
The Church of St. Anne was founded in 1846. The first chapel was built on top of the hill As soon as the Catholic population begin to increase, a new church was built. It was opened in 1888. This is the church which is now the St Anne's Shrine. It was the main church for the annual celebrations for St Anne's feast. In the 1950s, when Malaya declared an emergencyMalayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
, the church grounds were designated as a no-go area. It was only in 1960 that the emergency was lifted. In 1977, the church started moving back to the St. Anne's Shrine and restoration works begin, due to being abandoned for a long time. The stained glass inside and one of the three bells were recovered.
The parish moved further down the road and in 1958, the parish opened another church. This church was known as the "new church" for over 40 years, and was the main centre for the parish and the feast celebrations until 2003. In these years of the feast, pilgrims had to commute between this church and St. Anne's Shrine, which is 2 km away. This grounds now occupies the Kim Sen Primary School.
The 1990s to 2000s saw a major transformation for this church. In 2002, another new church was built. This church could fit 1,500 people, and is one of the largest churches in Malaysia. Work on the new St Anne's Church started in 2000 and was completed two years later. It was opened by the then Apostlic Delegate to Malaysia in 26 July 2002. This church has Minangkabau roofs, truly reflecting the Malaysian culture. Not only was a new church constructed, an avenue named Dataran St. Anne was constructed in front of the church. In view of turning St. Anne's Church into a pilgrim centre, Domus St Anne was also built to accommodate pilgrims who intend to stay over. A parish office, parish community centre and presbytery were also built, thus enlarging the sanctuary grounds.
In 2006, the church installed 'Statues of Passion' at a cost of RM
RM
RM may refer to:-People and titles:* Radioman, a former rank of the U.S. Navy* Resident Magistrate* Returned Missionary, a phrase used by Mormons to refer to young men and women who have served as full-time missionaries...
600,000. These statues depict the stations 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...
. A grotto dedicated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary was opened in 26 July 2008. In June 2010, a second accommodation place, St. Anne's Dorm, was opened by the then parish priest Msgr. Stephen Liew. Currently, the parish priest is Fr. Henry Rajoo and his assistant is Fr. Martin Arlando. At present, St. Anne's Church also administers 2 chapels, namely Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows in Alma
Alma
- Print media :* Alma , a 1922 novel by Oswald de Andrade* Alma , a drama by Joshua Sobol about Alma Mahler-Werfel* Alma Cogan , a 1991 novel by Gordon Burn...
, and Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima in Berapit.
Feast
Generally, Catholics celebrate the feast day of its saints on one day, for example, St Patrick's Day. The real feast day of St Anne is on 26 July, but it is celebrated for ten days at Bukit Mertajam, either on the real day or immediately after the real day. Celebrations include a candlelight procession, a nine-day novenaNovena
In the Catholic Church, a novena is a devotion consisting of a prayer repeated on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces. The prayers may come from prayer books, or consist of the recitation of the Rosary , or of short prayers through the day...
and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Pilgrims, estimated to be around 100,000, come from Malaysia, neighbouring countries and further afield.
Mass Times
Daily Masses7:00am English (Tuesday-Friday)
Sunday Masses
8:00am English
10:00am Mandarin
11:00am English (St. Anne's Shrine)-1st Sunday of the month
5:00pm Tamil
See also
- Diocese Of PenangRoman Catholic Diocese of PenangThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang is situated in the northern region of Malaysia covering 5 states, namely Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Kelantan. It was created in 25 February 1955 together with the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.-History:...
- Roman Catholicism in MalaysiaRoman Catholicism in MalaysiaThe Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....