Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the suburbs of Island Park in Green Lane (Jalan Masjid Negeri), Penang. It can trace its history to 1958, when Father M. Surmon, upon his return from Europe, was asked by Rt. Rev. Francis Chan, the Bishop of Penang, to establish a Catholic community in the Green Lane area of Penang. Fr. Surmon stayed at the then newly established Little Sisters of the Poor in Lorong Batu Lanchang while he went about setting up the church. The number of Catholics in the community was already numbering about one thousand. At that time, it was still a parish without a church, and they made do by celebrating mass on Sundays and feast days at the canteen of newly constructed Convent Green Lane.
Over a period of 10 years, the Catholic community in Green Lane worshipped without a church. Nevertheless plans were afoot and a building fund was in place. By the late 1960's a piece of land had been identified and purchased for the church. It is located at Guan Joo Seng Estate, nowadays called Island Park, a short distance from Green Lane (now Jalan Masjid Negeri), and within walking distance from Convent Green Lane. Initially, the parish was to be called Churcyh of St Bernadette, to commemorate the centenary of Our Lady's apparition to Bernadette in Lourdes in 1858. Eventually, however, it was decided and agreed upon in 1962 that the church be called Church of the Holy Spirit.
The Chuch of the Holy Spirit was officially blessed on 25 May, 1969, when a church bell donated by the family of the late Fr. M Surmon was imported from France and rang. In the subsequent years, the Church of the Holy Spirit added other buildings to its complex, including the parochial house and a community hall.
As the population of the Green Lane suburbs increased, so too the size of the congregation at the Church of the Holy Spirit. The need for a new building became apparent, and the idea was suggested by Father A. Dorett in 1991. Construction for the new building began on 4 August 1996 with Rt. Rev. Antony Selvanayagam driving in the first pile. Dewan Holy Spirit, as the new building complex was called, was completed the following year, in 1997.
By the turn of the new millennium, the number of parishioners at the Church of the Holy Spirit had grown to over six thousand. It is well equiped with facilities and is also active in ministerial services and programs. Moreover, its parish priest at that time, Msgr Stephen Liew was the Vicar General. On the other hand, the Cathedral of the Assumption at Farquhar Street had limited facilities, couldn't handle large activities, and in the last three decades seen the number of its parishioners dwindle to the extend that it had ceased being a parish. With these reasons, the Bishop of Penang wrote to the Cardinal on 5 February 2002, petitioning that the Cathedral status be transfered to the Church of the Holy Spirit. The congregation consented to the petition on 29 June 2002. In September 2002, Archbishop Adriano Bernardini issued the decree to elevate the status of the Church of the Holy Spirit to the "Cathedral Church" status. The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit was formally dedicated on 20 January, 2003.
Getting there
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit occupies a tract of land bordered by Taman Besi, Lintang Besi, Tingkat Besi and Tingkat Besi 1. Front entrance is at Taman Besi while vehicle entrance is at Tingkat Besi 1. If you are coming from George Town and using public transport, Rapid Penang buses 206 and 304 pass the vicinity (Check the Rapid Penang Bus Route). To walk there from the nearest bus stop in front of Convent Light Street, take the pedestrian bridge to cross Jalan Masjid Negeri, then walk along the sideroad in the southward direction beside Jalan Masjid Negeri (Green Lane) until the junction of Jalan Besi. Turn right into Jalan Besi. Then turn left into Taman Besi. After another 400 feet, you will see the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on the right side of the road.
What to see there
The main building is a circular building in the International style. Inside, the effect of the circular ceiling is regarded as that of rising sun. The cathedral also has a bell tower topped by a cross, also in the International style. At the altar is the relic of Blessed Nicholas Kitbamrung, a martyr of Thai descent who did his priestly formation at College General in Penang. As befitting a cathedral, it has lovely stained glasses, including four added in 2004, titled The Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration of the Lord, The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary and The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. The centre piece of the Cathedral sanctuary is the Pentecost scene created using byzantine tiles.
Acknowledgement
Penang Travel Tips wishes to thank the Diocese of Penang for help in putting together the information on this page.
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Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (23 September 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Bell tower of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (23 September 2008)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit
Location Map
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