Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore (30 July 2017)


Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (GPS: 1.2961, 103.8511) is one of the oldest cathedrals in Singapore. It is located at the corner of Victoria Street with Bras Basah Road, in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore. The Cathedral was built in the 1840s, and designed in the shape of a Latin cross. The Roman Catholic church was established in Singapore as early as 1833, when an attap structure was constructed as the first Catholic church. The land, which is where the former St Joseph's Institution (and present Singapore Art Museum) is situated, was given by the Resident of Singapore, S.G. Bonham to J.B. Boucho, the French missionary who arrived in Singapore from Penang.

The original attap structure is located within the "European Town", the section of Singapore parcelled out in Stamford Raffles's 1822 Town Plan as the residential area for Europeans. When the building became overcrowded, the initial plan was to enlarge it. However, Father Jean-Marie Beurel persuaded Bishop Hilary Courvezy to construct the new church building elsewhere, and to keep the existing site for a school - and from there St Joseph's Institution was established.

S.G. Bonham offered the Catholic church a piece of land on the slopes of Fort Canning, but it was found unsuitable. The second option was a parcel surrounded by Victoria Street, Bras Basah Road and Queen Street. This one was accepted, and a design by Denis Lesley McSwiney was accepted. McSwiney's design borrows from the design of the original St Andrew's church by George Drumgoole Coleman.

The church (not yet a cathedral then) building was completed on 6 June, 1846 at a cost of $18,355.22, including furniture. It was only consecrated a cathedral much later, on 14 February 1897.

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was gazetted a National Monument of Singapore on 6 July 1973.

Address

A Queen Street
Singapore 188533

Taking the MRT to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

On foot, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is 220 meters on foot to Bras Basah MRT Station (CC2).

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is on the Map of Victoria Street, Singapore

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is on the Map of Churches in Singapore

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore (30 July 2017)


Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore (30 July 2017)


Side building, Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore (30 July 2017)


Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore (9 July 2006)


Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, Singapore (9 July 2006)


Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, as seen from across Victoria Street. (9 July 2006)

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd Singapore on Google Street View

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd Singapore (Dec 2022)

List of the Churches in Singapore; Discover Singapore

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Planning Areas of Singapore and Map of Singapore Planning Areas

About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.