Church of Immaculate Conception, Penang

Church of Immaculate Conception, Pulau Tikus
© Timothy Tye using this photo

The Church of Immaculate Conception along Burmah Road in Pulau Tikus, George Town, was founded by Portuguese Eurasians who came to settle in Penang to escape persecution in Phuket. They were the latecomers - an earlier wave of Catholic immigrants arrived in Penang on the invitation of Francis Light, and had founded the Church of the Assumption. The Catholic community in Phuket, although dwindling in numbers, stayed put in Phuket until the Phya Tak Massacre of 1810, which propelled them to leave.

The Eurasians, or Serani as they were locally called, adopted local elements such as speaking Malay, and live in kampong houses, similar to the Portuguese settlement in Malacca. There was a sizable Eurasian community in the Pulau Tikus area of Kelawai Road, so much so that there once was a Kampong Serani, and road names such as Leandro's Lane bear their imprint.

The present building of the Church of Immaculate Conception was erected in 1899, and was last renovated in the 1970s. I photograph it when documenting heritage sites in Penang for Penang Travel Tips and AsiaExplorers. The characteristic of the church has gradually turned from Eurasians to Chinese, as the Eurasian community of Pulau Tikus was gradually erased and taken over by the Chinese population of Penang.

St. Chastan Monument
St Chastan Monument is a monument on the grounds of the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Click the link to learn more about it.