Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

For the past three Sundays, I have been attending the 10AM Mass at the Cathedral of the Good Shephard, over by Bras Basah. I was actually baptized here back in 1990, but no one has recognized me yet.

I wasn't expecting Catholicism in Singapore to be especially prevalent, as Buddhism is the most popular religion by a wide margin. But the atmosphere is quite vibrant. The pews have been full every week, a mix of regulars and tourists. Musically, the choir is fantastic, with 50+ members singing loud and proud. The Cathedral also serves as the seat of the archbishop, which has its perks. My first week, we hosted an archbishop from Italy, which added yet another accent to the cacophony of linguistic confusion that marked my first few days here.

The site is an attraction in itself. It first featured a little chapel that was built in 1832. Quickly becoming apparent that more space was needed, a full church was constructed and completed by 1847. It reached cathedral status in 1888. It even served as a medical hospital during the invasion of Singapore during WWII.

Here is a nice shot of the interior. One drawback lies in the lack of A/C; all the fans that you see here are on full-tilt during the Mass, which can be distracting at times but people would be fainting from the heat otherwise.

Like the rest of Singapore life, religion here is incredibly diverse and rich. One of my main goals for the rest of my stay is to learn about and share in some of these other religious traditions. Whether Buddhism, Taoism, or even Sikhism, there are countless opportunities to learn about the faith of other peoples.