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Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes - Part 04 - The Building Of The New Church
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Subject :Church of Our Lady of Lourdes - Part 04 - The Building Of The New Church
Published By : None
Location : Silibin Road, Ipoh
Estimated Year : 1959
Media Type : Photograph
Source : Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Ipoh
Remark : The little wooden Church soon became inadequate for the growing Tamil-speaking Catholic population of Ipoh. The proposal to build a new church with modern architecture, big enough to contain the increasing number of Catholics was planned before World War II. In fact, the original site that was found to be conducive and within the grasp of the then existing financial resources was the site presently occupied by Tarcisian Convent in Jalan Hassan. However, after the war, efforts to build the new church proceeded at the present venue.
Father Dass, who was a dynamic, well-disciplined and outspoken man, concentrated on finding ways and means to increase the proposed new Church Building Fund, which now stood at about $4,500. The big church would need big money. The parishioners accepted to donate one month’s salary by monthly installments.
The foundation stone was laid by Honorable Leong Yew Koh, the first Malaysian Governor of Malacca, and blessed by Monseigneur Francis Chan, the first Bishop of Penang. Father Dass went all out to raise funds for the new church and completed the church to coincide with the centenary celebrations of Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes in 1858.
As the building work progressed, the fund-raising committee was struck with blows, one after another. Seeing this situation, the then senior catechist of the Parish, Mr A Anthonysamy, came to the rescue in the nick of time by donating to the building-fund, his whole life savings, which was a substantial sum.
The church was designed in Gothic Architecture with a belfry bell tower in front and a gallery to accommodate the choir. The plan was in the form of a cross with a main body and two wings to provide comfortable seating capacity for 1,500 persons. The structure was reinforced concrete framed building with brick walls and the wings on either side contain two concealed confessionals to provide undisturbed privacy between priest and penitent. The internal pillars had been avoided by providing steel trusses on the top. The absence of pillars provide greater visibility to follow the service at the main altar from any position within the building.
From left to right the photos show:
To go to Part 05, click here.
Father Dass, who was a dynamic, well-disciplined and outspoken man, concentrated on finding ways and means to increase the proposed new Church Building Fund, which now stood at about $4,500. The big church would need big money. The parishioners accepted to donate one month’s salary by monthly installments.
The foundation stone was laid by Honorable Leong Yew Koh, the first Malaysian Governor of Malacca, and blessed by Monseigneur Francis Chan, the first Bishop of Penang. Father Dass went all out to raise funds for the new church and completed the church to coincide with the centenary celebrations of Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes in 1858.
As the building work progressed, the fund-raising committee was struck with blows, one after another. Seeing this situation, the then senior catechist of the Parish, Mr A Anthonysamy, came to the rescue in the nick of time by donating to the building-fund, his whole life savings, which was a substantial sum.
The church was designed in Gothic Architecture with a belfry bell tower in front and a gallery to accommodate the choir. The plan was in the form of a cross with a main body and two wings to provide comfortable seating capacity for 1,500 persons. The structure was reinforced concrete framed building with brick walls and the wings on either side contain two concealed confessionals to provide undisturbed privacy between priest and penitent. The internal pillars had been avoided by providing steel trusses on the top. The absence of pillars provide greater visibility to follow the service at the main altar from any position within the building.
From left to right the photos show:
To go to Part 05, click here.
Filename : 20120205-004