Roman Catholicism in Singapore
Encyclopedia
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
) and Eurasian descent, along with a Filipino, Indian and European minority.
History
Roman Catholicism in Singapore has its roots from the Portuguese established Diocese of Malacca soon after Affonso de Albuquerque's conquest of MalaccaMalacca
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...
in 1511. It is believed that the first Roman Catholic priest set foot in British Singapore in 1821 to attend to the needs of the growing community consisting largely of Europeans and some Chinese; however, it is probable that there had been Portuguese missionaries operating out of Malacca in Singapore during the Portuguese period, 1511–1641, prior to the British conquest. Within a time span of several years, notable Catholic churches, such as 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....
, were built. Missionary schools, notably 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...
, were established and attended by Roman Catholics and non-Catholics (many of whom became converts).
Historically, Catholic communities were divided along racial lines - centred along the entire length of Queen St in town.
The vast majority of Catholics in Singapore at that time would comprise the Eurasians, who were chiefly located in the Waterloo St and Serangoon Road areas and were members of St Joseph's Church (143 Victoria St, rear of Queen St), the former Portuguese Mission church, along with the two schools, St Anthony's Boys School and St Anthony's Convent.
The Europeans congregated at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. (1A Queen St)
Indian Catholics, added the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes on Ophir Road, at the other end of Queen St.
Chinese Catholics in the city area were found at Sts Peter and Paul (Queen St), and the Sacred Heart Church (Tank Road). Conversion to Roman Catholicism among the Chinese community in the 19th century was met with disdain among Chinese immigrant societies in Singapore. Many of these Chinese Roman Catholic converts, a large number of whom were wealthy plantation owners, were frequently subjected to harassment from Chinese Secret Societies. These were mainly located in the Upper Serangoon and Hougang areas where the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in what was traditionally a Teochew speaking heartland.
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...
, in an attempt to manage the growing needs of the local people in Singapore, many Roman Catholics of Eurasian and Chinese ethnicity were deported to Bahau
Bahau
Bahau is the principal town of Jempol district, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The name Bahau is believed to have been derived from a Chinese phrase...
, also aptly called "Fuji Village" at that time, to be self-sufficient in their own food supply.
In 2005, Singapore held an exhibition, dubbed Journey of Faith, on artefacts from Vatican City
Vatican 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...
in the Asian Civilisations Museum at Empress Building, Roman Catholic-oriented artefacts, focusing on art and history, were put on display from June to October 2005.
List of Roman Catholic churches in 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....
- Church of Saints Peter and Paul
- Church of Our Lady of LourdesChurch of Our Lady of LourdesThe Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic church in Singapore. It is located at Ophir Road in the Rochor Planning Area, within the Central Area in Singapore's central business district.-History:...
- St Joseph's Church
- Church of Divine Mercy
- Church of St Bernadette
- Church of St Michael
- Church of St Teresa
- Church of the Sacred HeartChurch of the Sacred Heart, SingaporeThe Church of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic church in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore.- History :The Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1906 by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and completed in 1910...
- Novena Church
- Church of the Holy FamilyChurch of the Holy Family, SingaporeThe Church of the Holy Family, also known as Holy Family Church and Katong Catholic Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Singapore. It is located at Chapel Road, Singapore, and has one of the largest parish populations in the archdiocese.-History:The church itself was founded in...
- Church of the Holy TrinityChurch of the Holy Trinity, SingaporeChurch of the Holy Trinity is a Roman Catholic church in Singapore.Its current address is 20 Tampines Street 11, Singapore 529455. It currently has an approximate population of 13720, the largest parish in Singapore-History:...
- Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
- Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace
- Church of St Stephen
- Blessed Sacrament Church
- Church of St Francis of Assisi
- Church of St Ignatius
- Church of St Mary of the AngelsChurch of St Mary of the AngelsThe Church of St Mary of the Angels is a Roman Catholic church in Singapore. It is located at in the Bukit Batok Planning Area, within the West Region of Singapore.- History :...
- Church of the Holy Cross
- Church of Christ the King
- Church of Our Lady Star of the SeaChurch of Our Lady Star of the SeaThe Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea is a Roman Catholic church in Singapore and comes under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Singapore. The church is located at Yishun Street 22.-History:...
- Church of St Anthony
- Church of the Holy SpiritChurch of the Holy SpiritChurch of the Holy Spirit or Holy Spirit Church may refer to:* Church of the Holy Spirit * Church of the Holy Spirit * Church of the Holy Spirit * Church of the Holy Spirit...
- Church of St Joseph
- Church of the Risen ChristChurch of the Risen ChristChurch 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:...
- Church of St Francis Xavier
- Church of St Vincent de Paul
- Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin MaryChurch of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin MaryThe Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Catholic church in Singapore. It is located at Upper Serangoon Road in the Hougang Planning Area, within Singapore's North-East Region....
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
- St Anne's Church (Singapore)
List of foreign Roman Catholic communities in Singapore
- Filipino Catholic Community of Singapore
- French-speaking Catholic Community of SingaporeFrench-speaking Catholic Community of SingaporeThe French-speaking Catholic Community of Singapore regroups about 250 families from multiple origins, sharing faith in the Roman Catholic Church and the French language.-Organisation:...
- German-speaking Catholics
- Hong Kong Catholics
- Indonesian Charismatic Catholic Holy Spirit Prayer Group (KKIHS)
- Indonesian-speaking Catholics
- Japanese Catholic Group
- Korean Catholics
See also
- Archdiocese of Singapore
- List of Roman Catholic churches in Singapore
- Christianity in SingaporeChristianity in SingaporeChristians in Singapore constitute approximately 17.5% of the population. In the 2000 Census, 4.8% of residents aged 15 years and older, identified as Catholic and 9.8% as 'Other Christians'.-History:...
Further reading
- One hundred years' history of the Chinese in Singapore, by Song Ong Siang ISBN 0195826035
- Journey of Faith: Art and History from the Vatican Collections by Asian Civilisations Museum ISBN 9810535058
- Syonan: My story the Japanese occupation of Singapore ISBN 9812043608
External links
- The official Website of the Archdiocese of Singapore
- The Website of the French-speaking catholic community of Singapore
- The Catholic Church in Singapore by Giga-Catholic Information
- Journey of Faith: Art and History From the Vatican Collections
- Vatican treasures
- The Hindu: Journey of faith
- Journey of Faith exhibition