Church of the Holy Family

Church of the Holy Family (GPS: 2.98856, 101.79049) is a Catholic church in Kajang, Selangor. also known simply as Holy Family, Kajang, it is located on Jalan Gereja, which was named after it. The church, which dates back to 1899, serves as the parish church for Kajang. It was established by Catholic missionaries following the restoration of the Diocese of Malacca in 1888¹. The arrival of tin mining had brought with it tin miners, many of whom are of the Catholic faith.

Until a Catholic Mission was established in Kajang, the Catholics there were under the Parish of St John in Kuala Lumpur, now known as the St John's Cathedral. As with many of the Catholic churches in the Malay peninsula, the work in Kajang was established by Catholic missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Société des Missions étrangères de Paris or MEP). The founding of the Catholic Mission in Kajang is credited to Father François Terrien, who received funding from one local Catholic business owner, Towkay Goh Ah Ngee. Towkay Goh help to fund the construction of the chapel and later donated land, which was formerly a rubber estate, for use to build the church.

When the Church of the Holy Family was completed at the end of 1900, it had a tall bell tower, making it the tallest building in Kajang then. It was subsequently consecrated on 24 February, 1901. This church building was badly damaged in the Second World War. The church finally received a resident parish priest with the appointment of Father Etienne Mamet in 1952. Father Mamet was well known with the villagers in Kajang, as he could speak Hakka.

In 1953, the old church building was demolished, and the new church building completed in 1955. That was also the year that the Diocese of Kuala Lumpur was formed, and Bishop Dominic Vendargon was ordained as the first local bishop. Bishop Dominic Vendargon consequently consecrated the new church building on 27 November, 1955. It was the first church to be consecrated by him since his ordination.

In 1992, plans were once again afoot to building a new church building, as the previous one could no longer contain the number of Catholic families living in Kajang. The final mass in the old church building was celebrated on 31 August, 2000, and from September 2000, all liturgical celebrations were held in the new church building.

Church of the Holy Family on Google Maps Street View

Church of the Holy Family (Dec 2013)

Church of the Holy Family is on the map of Kajang

References

1. Holy Family Church Kajang website

List of Churches in Selangor and Churches in Malaysia

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