20 January 2023 – 20th Anniversary of Dedication of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

by Bishop Sebastian Francis

This Diocese was not established twenty years ago, though this Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is celebrating its 20th Dedication.

A little bit of history. This Diocese was established sixty eight years ago, in 1955. And the first Cathedral, as you all know, was the Church of the Assumption. And this is the second. So actually, this is the 68th Anniversary of celebrating the centrality of a Cathedral in a Diocese. And we were part of a larger Diocese before 1955. We were just one Diocese and it was called Malacca-Singapore. And in 1955, the Holy See established two Dioceses first, the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur and the Diocese of Penang. So we can say that this Diocese had a Cathedral from 1955 till now, 2023.

I want to share with you, as part of the homily, a message given by the first Bishop of this Diocese. One of the first things I did when I arrived here ten years ago as the Bishop was to go and visit his grave and to get his blessings. I thought that was more important than meeting anyone. And that is the late Bishop Francis Chan who was the first Bishop in 1955. He is buried in the Western Road cemetery and I visit his grave every year at All Souls Day.

And when the Church of the Assumption was raised to the status of Cathedral, same time when Bishop Francis Chan was installed as the First Bishop of Penang Diocese in 1955, he gave a message and it happened to be five years after the Diocese was established, and so a hundred years at that time (1960) when he gave the message at the Cathedral of the Assumption.

I was just thinking how real the message still is for us today. This is what he said and I want to just share that with you:-

For the last hundred years (Assumption Church was built in 1860 and they were celebrating the Centenary in 1960, five years after the establishment of the Diocese), for the last hundred years since this present Cathedral Church was erected, Almighty God has been bestowing His loving care and Fatherly guidance on the parish. Like the tiny mustard seed of the Gospel that grew up into a tree, offering shade and rest to the birds in the air, so this Church has been a shelter for those seeking the truth and a solace for many burdened with the vicissitudes of life. (Then he ends) The love we have for this Parish (the love you have for your Parish, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit), the love you have for this Parish Church is the love men and women have of their home. Within the walls of our Parish Church we are at home with ourselves, at home with our neighbour and at home with God.

Now fast forward to 20th January 2003, and we thank Father Maurice Surmon who is responsible for building this church. Father Maurice Surmon who was given the task of building this church in 1958 soon after the installation of Bishop Francis Chan. And it started with 1,000 Catholics around Green Lane, when the church was first built in 1968.

So we fast forward again to 20th January 2003. The date decided on for the dedication of this new Cathedral was 20th January 2003. An eight-member Cathedral renovation committee under the guidance of Monsignor Stephen Liu had three months to upgrade the building and incorporate state-of-the-art facilities befitting a modern Cathedral with certain features such as the sanctuary (this area) that must have depth, an altar – imposing, main entrance – majestic, and religious art reflecting the rich tradition of the church. The Pentecost scene in the centrepiece of the Cathedral sanctuary was constructed with Byzantine tiles imported from Italy. The cat’s eye, the precious stone placed in the eye of the dove in the sanctuary, the eye of the dove in the Pentecost scene seems to give the mosaic life.

And then the narco windows with the stained glass, sacred heart of Jesus, our Mother of perpetual help, stained glass windows of all the mysteries of the rosary and two big century-old clam shells donated by the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus Balik Pulau, were placed at either side of the main entrance, I guess it is still there, as holy water receptacles and so on and so forth.

So today we look back twenty years and we remember all the priests who served here as parish priests, beginning with Monsignor Stephen Liew, Father Francis Anthony. And Father Francis Anthony also made a contribution and that contribution is a relic of the Blessed to-be-canonised, Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbungrung, a Thai martyr and former seminarian of College General who died in prison because of his faith and fidelity to the gospel in Thailand.

And his relics are enshrined right here in the altar. I can see a picture of him there, Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbungrung. And it is enshrined here. It was through Father Francis Anthony, former rector of College General, that the Cathedral was able to get the relic and so on and so forth.

So brothers and sisters, we have come a long way after this was established as a Cathedral and I feel at home every time I am here. When I arrived ten years ago as the fifth Bishop of this Diocese, I took up residence here with Bernard Paul. So I feel at home here and I would just like to end this reflection with the words that Jesus told a Samaritan woman whom he met at the well. And these words have always fascinated me. As I move around the Diocese and celebrate and worship God with all our people, I can’t help but feel and believe that these words are coming true every time and Jesus said:-

The hour will come. In fact it is here already when true worshippers (it is about not worship but true worship), true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.

And that is the kind of worship that the Father wants from all His children. So I can’t help but believe that especially these days as we are moving into a Synodal Church, that these words are coming true. That true worshippers, whether they gather in this Cathedral or at the Minor Basilica of St Anne, or at the Shrine of Harmony, wherever, people of all faiths, true worshippers, will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

And let us celebrate that from the very first Bishop, Bishop Francis Chan, and on to Bishop Gregory Yong and on to Bishop Soter Fernandez and on to Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam and myself and whoever will succeed me, the mission continues and the community continues to grow and we will continue to worship the Father of Jesus Christ in spirit and in truth.

Amen.

Click below to listen to homily and watch video:-

Click to live-stream Mass on 20 January 2023