SW News: Believers in Singapore are rejoicing after a historic Catholic church on the outskirts of the country was reopened after two years of renovation. The Church of St. Teresa is located on top of the hills on Kompong Bahru Road and overlooks the port of Singapore. Bishop Pierre Louis Perrichon, coadjutor bishop of Malacca Diocese, belonging to the Paris Foreign Missions Society dedicated the church to cater to the needs of the Chinese Catholic community in the country on April 7, 1929.

According to the church's records, the pastors' aim was to carry out a mission amidst the increasing number of Chinese Catholics in the country. As the parish became bigger, the missionaries expanded their apostolate to seafarers.

The Church of St. Teresa is the only church in Singapore that has been built in the Roman-Byzantine style with its large domes, arches on the facade, and cupolas. Procurator of the MEP in Singapore Fr. Jean M. Ouillon was inspired by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre, Paris, France, and began preparing sketches similar to that landmark. The materials for the construction of the Catholic church were imported from India and France.

In 1958, the Singapore wing of the Apostleship of the Sea was started in the Church of St. Teresa. The aim of the association is to serve seafarers' spiritual needs. The church was gazetted as a national monument in 2009 due to its historical, social, and architectural value and significance to the local community. The church closed down for renovation in 2019 and was reopened on Saturday, October 2.

After a deadly fire broke out in the Bukit Ho Swee area in 1961 leaving four dead and 50 injured as well as displacing thousands, it was this church that sheltered many homeless people. As years went by, the church also began offering educational and social services to the community.

Singapore was a Malay fishing village founded by Sir Stamford Raffles as a British colony in 1819. It was later on that Catholic missionaries arrived in Singapore. The Catholic Church has been credited for its contribution to education, healthcare, and social welfare.

Singapore is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country having a population of about 5.6 million citizens. Most of the population are Chinese Buddhists, followed by Malays who are Muslim and Christians are 15 per cent. As of now, there are around 360,000 Catholics spread across 32 parishes in Singapore.