Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Singapore
| Church of Saint Francis Xavier | |
|---|---|
| Location | 63A Chartwell Drive, Singapore 558758 |
| Country | Singapore |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Churchmanship | Roman Rite |
| Membership | 5,000 |
| Website | http://sfxchurch.sg/ |
| History | |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Dedication | Saint Francis Xavier |
| Dedicated | 11 January 1959 |
| Consecrated | 11 January 1959 |
| Relics held | Relic of Saint Francis Xavier inside the altar table |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Completed | December 1958 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2,500 |
| Materials | Concrete |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of Singapore |
| Division | Serangoon District |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | Rev. Fr. Brian D'Souza |
| Assistant priest(s) | Rev. Fr. Benedict Chng Rev. Fr. Jude David |
| Laity | |
| Servers' guild | Saint Francis Xavier Altar Servers Society |
The Church of St Francis Xavier is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Singapore, established in 1959 to cater to the needs of the residents of Serangoon Gardens as well as the neighbourhoods of Braddell Heights and Serangoon. Following Major renovations in the year 2000, the church now serves about 5,000 parishioners and is one of the larger Christian churches in the Serangoon district.
History
The church grew out of the congregation of the Minor Seminary of Saint Francis Xavier in Upper Serangoon, established 1920.[1] In 1957 the archbishop of Singapore, Michel Olcomendy, inaugurated the Church of St. Francis Xavier Building Fund in the hopes of meeting the growing Catholic community of Serangoon Garden Estate.[2] A committee led by Rev Fr Phillippe Meissonier chose the site of 63A Chartwell Drive, to be the location of the church that would hold a congregation of 1,000 people, a presbytery for two priests, servant's quarters and a parish hall.
On the 11 January 1959, the church was consecrated and officially named after St Francis Xavier (the patron saint of missionaries) with the Rev Fr Rene Challet and Fr Henry Saussard being its first priests. By 1997, the parish hall and presbytery were rebuilt and expanded with a columbarium and chapel were installed.
The main church underwent significant renovation in the year 2000, with air-conditioning and stained-glass panels installed. Seating capacity was also increased to 2000 as by then the church population had grown significantly. However the church still retained its distinctive design and bell tower which has become an icon of the church being a visible landmark of Serangoon estate. In 2004 the Parish Centre & car park was completed and official opened by Archbishop Nicholas Chia on 15 August.
The Parish celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009.
References
- ↑ Maxime Pilon, Danièle Weiler - The French in Singapore: An Illustrated History (1819-Today) 2012 - Page 131 "In 1920, he opened the Minor Seminary of Saint Francis Xavier in Upper Serangoon to provide better training for the local priests. Squeezed into the Church of St Peter and St Paul, the Chinese Catholic community began to feel cramped with ..."
- ↑ P. Decroix -History of the Church and churches in Malaysia and Singapore ...2005 - Page 313 "SERANGOON DISTRICT. (24) Church of ST. FRANCIS XAVIER (1959) For more than a century, the Catholics living in the Serangoon District, in the north-east section of the Island State had only one worship Centre, that is the church of the ..."
http://www.veritas.org.sg/parish_detail.php?OrganisationID=26