Holy Spirit Cathedral, Penang

Cathedral Of The Holy Spirit
Cathedral Of The Holy Spirit
Malay: Katedral Roh Kudus
	Location within George Town
Location	Tingkat Besi 1, Island Park,; George Town, Penang
Country	Malaysia
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	https://www.holyspiritcathedral.com/
History
Founded	1958
Dedicated	2003 (as Cathedral)
Architecture
Years built	1969
Administration
Division	Penang Island
Province	Kuala Lumpur
Diocese	Penang
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Cardinal Sebastian Francis
Priest(s)	Fr. Joachim Robert (rector); Fr. Francis Anthony (priest-in-residence); Fr. Fabian Dicom (priest-in-residence); Dcn Andrew Loh

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic cathedral within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. Sited at the residential estate of Island Park near Green Lane, the cathedral is a World Heritage Church (minor) and the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang, currently Cardinal Sebastian Francis.^[1]^[2]

History

The parish was founded in 1958, with about 1,000 parishioners and they celebrated Masses at the canteen of Convent Green Lane school. After 10 years of hard work in raising funds, they were ready to build a church. Mr. Seng Tuck Hooi, a forward-thinking architect who designed the first high rise building in Penang (the 11-storey Ambassador Hotel) was appointed as the lead architect for the church project.

Construction of the church finished in 1969 and the church was blessed by Msgr. Gregory Yong, then Bishop of Penang. In the 1990s, the parish community hall was named Dewan Holy Spirit and three levels of Sunday School classrooms were open.

In 2001, the church was closed for renovations to prepare for the dedication ceremony 2 years later. In 2003, the cathedral status was transferred from the former Cathedral of the Assumption to the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. The Rite Of Dedication was held on 20 January 2003 and the new cathedral was blessed by Msgr. Antony Selvanayagam, Bishop of Penang.

In October 2007, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Church of Divine Mercy was held. The cathedral played a major role in the fundraising programs. The church, also called the Christian Community Centre, will have a main church accommodating 900 people, 15 classrooms of Sunday School classes and functions as well as a priests residence or known as a rectory.

It is located in Sungai Ara and caters to 2,500 parishioners living in Bayan Lepas (in which it also serves the Catholic staff members working at the Penang International Airport as well as nearby industrial factories). Previously, parishioners in that area had to travel to the cathedral 12 km away from the new church. The church was completed in July 2010 and the opening ceremony was held on 29 September 2010. It will be the first time in 41 years that a new Catholic church is built on Penang Island. On 29 September 2013, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was split to form a new parish, Church of Divine Mercy.

Currently, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is administered by Rev Fr. Joachim Robert (parish priest) in which he is assisted by Rev Fr. Francis Anthony (priest-in-residence) and serves the Catholic parishioners population of Batu Lanchang, Gelugor, Batu Uban, Sungai Dua as well as Jelutong, which also include students and faculty members of the Universiti Sains Malaysia higher learning institute as well as their dependents and relatives (but it is also served as its secondary sponsoring and nearest area parish, for its main sponsoring church attached to the said university's main campus is actually City Parish, George Town under the auspices of the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Macalister Road, George Town).

Mass Times

Daily Masses
7:00am English (Mondays, Tuesdays & Saturdays)
6:30pm English (Wednesdays & Thursdays; year-round, Fridays; during Ordinary Time, Advent, Christmastide and Easter)
8:45pm English (Fridays during Lent preceded by Stations of the Cross)

Saturday (Sunset) Mass
6:00pm English (English & Tamil dual language sunset Mass on every second Saturday of the month)

Sunday Masses
8:00am Mandarin
10:30am English

References

^ GCatholic.org
^ The Star, Statue stolen from Penang cathedral, 2007-08-24

External links

[1] GCatholic.org

[2] The Star, Statue stolen from Penang cathedral, 2007-08-24

[1]

[2]

v t e Places of worship in George Town
Mosques	Kapitan Keling Mosque Lebuh Aceh Mosque Penang Floating Mosque Penang State Mosque
Buddhist temples	Dhammikarama Burmese Temple Goddess of Mercy Temple Kek Lok Si Mahindarama Buddhist Temple Nibbinda Forest Monastery Wat Buppharam Wat Chayamangkalaram
Taoist temples	Jade Emperor's Pavilion
Hindu temples	Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple Arulmigu Sri Mahamariamman Temple Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple Sri Kunj Bihari Temple
Churches	Church of the Assumption Church of Divine Mercy Church of the Immaculate Conception Church of the Risen Christ Holy Spirit Cathedral St. George's Church Wesley Methodist Church
Multifaith sites	Snake Temple

v t e Colonial architecture of Malaysia
British	All Saints' Church All Souls' Church Atkinson Clock Tower Bank of China Building Batu Tinagat Lighthouse Church of the Assumption Church of the Immaculate Conception (Johor) Church of the Immaculate Conception (Penang) Church of the Risen Christ Coliseum Theatre Eastern & Oriental Hotel Fort Alice Fort Cornwallis Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse Fort Hose Fort Margherita Fort Sylvia Hin Bus Depot Holy Spirit Cathedral Hotel Majestic HSBC Penang India House Istana Besar Istana Bukit Serene Jesselton Freemason Hall Jesselton Hotel Jubilee Clock Tower Kellie's Castle Labuan Chimney Labuan Clock Tower Malacca Light Malay and Islamic World Museum Melalap railway station National Textile Museum OCBC Penang One Fathom Bank Lighthouse Penang City Hall Pulau Pisang Lighthouse Penang High Court Penang Islamic Department Building Penang Masonic Temple Penang State Assembly Building Penang Town Hall Sabah Tourism Board Sacred Heart Cathedral, Kota Kinabalu Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sibu Sarawak State Museum Seri Mutiara Seri Teratai St. Anne's Church St. George's Church St. John's Cathedral St. Mary's Cathedral St. Michael's Church, Penampang St. Michael's and All Angels Church, Sandakan Standard Chartered Bank Building Suffolk House Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque Sultan Ibrahim Building The Astana Undan Island Lighthouse Wisma Kastam Woodville
Dutch	Christ Church Dutch Fort Governor's Museum Malaysia Architecture Museum Middelburg Bastion Proclamation of Independence Memorial Stadthuys St. John's Fort St. Peter's Church
French	Church of St. Francis Xavier
German	Kinarut Mansion
Japanese	Tawau Bell Tower
Portuguese	Cape Rachado Lighthouse Fortress of Malacca St. Paul's Church