Grand dame celebrates 240 years

The present Church of the Assumption building in Lebuh Farquhar was constructed in 1860. A shrine to Our Lady of Fatima, in front of the church, was erected in 1954.

Old pipe organ to feature in concert for Penang’s oldest Catholic church

HUNDREDS of parishioners gathered at the Church of the Assumption at Lebuh Farquhar, George Town, to mark the 240th anniversary of Penang’s oldest Catholic church.

They recited the rosary before joining a mass celebrated by the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang, Cardinal Datuk Seri Sebastian Francis.

In his homily, Cardinal Sebastian described the church as the grand old lady of George Town. It was established by French missionary priest Father Arnaud-Antoine Garnault in 1786.

The church is dedicated to the Assump­tion of the Virgin Mary, which refers to the belief that the mother of Jesus was taken to heaven, body and soul, at the end of her life.

Parishioners receiving Holy Communion from a priest at the Church of the Assumption.

The event last Saturday coincided with the Assumption celebration, which is observed by Catholics worldwide on Aug 15.

To commemorate the celebrations, the Penang Eurasian Asso­ciation organised a Eurasian Fiesta at the church hall.

Joining the celebration were the City Parish’s parish priest Father Edmund Woon, assistant parish priest Father Arulnathan Joseph and clergy members from other Catholic churches across the island.

Fr Woon said the church was originally a small wooden structure built several hundred metres away on what is now Lebuh Gereja.

The present building along Lebuh Farquhar was constructed in 1860 by Father Claude Manis­sol. It survived World War II unscathed and served as the cathedral or “mother church” of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Penang from 1955 to 2003.

(From third left) Fr Woon, City Parish pastoral council chairperson Dr Elizabeth Anthony, Cardinal Sebastian and City Parish finance committee chairman Anthony Chan cutting a cake to mark the Church of the Assumption’s 240th anniversary.

“This church has been hallowed by many generations of devoted Catholics.

“And as we celebrate its 240 years, we hope that it will continue to serve the people of God in Penang and beyond,” Fr Woon said.

The mass was followed by a cake-cutting ceremony, and the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the contributions of the state’s early Eurasian community, not only in the founding of the church, but also other aspects of daily life.

In 1825, parish priest Bishop Jean Baptiste Boucho established Catholic Free School, which later developed into St Xavier’s Institu­tion under the direction of the La Salle Brothers in 1852.

Cardinal Sebastian (wearing mitre), is joined by Penang Eurasian Association vice-president Philip Theseira (in grey shirt) and clergy members in unveiling a plaque marking the contributions of the Eurasian community.

Boucho’s invitation to the Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus also led to the establishment of the former Convent Light Street that same year.

The church is also home to Malaysia’s second oldest playable pipe organ by Morton & Moody, procured by Fr Louis Duvelle from England in 1914 and installed in 1916. It remains in use for Sunday services.

Two wings were added to the church in 1928, creating its present cruciform layout.

The large congregation filling the Church of the Assump­tion in George Town for the 240th anniversary mass.

A shrine to Our Lady of Fatima was also erected in 1954, following a procession through George Town.

In 1988, the church became part of the City Parish, together with the churches of Our Lady of Sorrows, St Francis Xavier and St John Britto in Penang.

The church closed in Septem­ber 2016 for a 14-month restoration and reopened on Jan 1, 2018 with a re-dedication ceremony. This also saw the opening of the adjacent Penang Diocesan Museum.

The 240th anniversary celebrations will culminate on Saturday with an evening concert featuring the church’s historic pipe organ.