History of Catholic church@Katong: The Church of the Holy Family

[Cecil Lee]

Catholic: The Church of the Holy Family in Katong 

Even near-by roads are named after it. Such as Chapel Road. Did you see how many languages? English, Mandarin & Indian. Representing the wide influence it has with these three races in Katong.

The construction of the road, now known as East Coast Road in early 1920 facilitated the development of Tanjong Katong. Some families purchased plots of land in the area, which included Mr. James Leonard Scheerder, who developed a coconut plantation around Marine Parade, Chapel and East Coast Road. The De La Salle Brothers also bought a plot of land, at which the St. Patrick's School now stands. At that time, the Brothers had some buildings along the East Coast where they conducted Holy Mass during the holidays.

Shortly after the end of World War I, Reverend Father P. Ruadel, the parish priest of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd approached Mr James Leonard Scheerder, for the donation of some land in Katong to build a chapel due to the growing Catholic community.

Mr Scheerder conceded to the request on the condition that the land was to be used for the chapel and to be returned to the donor's estate, if it was not used by the chapel.  In 1922. the foundation stone of the chapel was laid. The Chapel was completed and blessed by Bishop Barillon on 11th November 1923.

As the Catholic community in Katong had outgrown the Chapel, it was demolished in 1931. The Church had obtained permission to use the Roxy Theatre to conduct their Sunday Holy Mass. On 19th June 1932, the new Church of the Holy Family was completed and blessed by Bishop Perrichon.

By 1936, the church was made a parish. The first parish priest was Fr Pierre Ruaudel. In 1969 the Church underwent renovation and extension work which was completed by April 1970. To accommodate the increasing number of worshippers, it was pulled down on 29th December 1997 and replaced by the present building which was completed in December 1998.