Church of St Teresa, Singapore 5.35

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
In the mid-1920s, the need was felt for a new church to be built near the port, in south-western Singapore. The area had a growing population, and though rural, there was a number of Hokkien-speaking Catholics.

The prime mover of the church-building project was Father E Mariette, parish priest of Sts Peter & Paul church on Queen Street. Fr Mariette died from a freak accident during the building of the church, and Father Stephen Lee saw the project to completion and had it blessed on 7 April 1929.

The patron saint of the church is St Therese of Lisieux.

In April 1935, Fr Lee took up residence at St Teresa church. The Catholic population continued growing as new housing developments took place in the district.

A convent was built in Bukit Teresa and eight Carmelite nuns from Bangkok arrived in May 1938 to start the Convent of Christ the King. Today, more than 15 nuns are leading a life of prayer and poverty.

A small school was then started and grew slowly into St Teresa's Convent, while a Chinese school was built next to the church, called St Teresa Sino English School.

In 1959, it was time to build a new church in the vicinity and St Bernadette church became the "first daughter parish" of St Teresa church, soon followed by the parishes of Blessed Sacrament and Holy Cross.