The Virgin in the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

Marian Advocation of Singapore (National)
Recognized by the Church

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, in the area of Bras Basah (historical centre), is the oldest Catholic church in Singapore, founded by the missionaries of the Société des Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP) in the 19th century. The current structure was completed in the 1840s and was elevated to cathedral in 1888. Its most recent restoration was completed in 2016.

Main data

Origin and history

The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, in the area of Bras Basah (historical centre), is the oldest Catholic church in Singapore, founded by the missionaries of the Société des Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP) in the 19th century. The current structure was completed in the 1840s and was elevated to cathedral in 1888. Its most recent restoration was completed in 2016.

The image and the sanctuary

The title of the cathedral is Christ the Good Shepherd, not specifically Marian. The temple hosts Marian images and the Marian diocesan celebrations, but it does not contain a main Marian advocation or an image with a unique cult.

Sponsorship and coronation

There is no Marian patronage or canonical coronation linked to this cathedral.

Party and devotion

The Good Shepherd's own feast is held in Easter time (Fourth Easter Sunday). The cathedral also celebrates all the great Marian feasts of the universal Church (Immaculate, Asunción, Nativity of the Virgin). They do not contain concrete accounts of Marian miracles linked to the temple, but their central role in the great diocesan celebrations.

Link to the Rosary

As a cathedral of the archdiocese, it welcomes the prayer of the rosary and the ordinary Marian devotions of the Roman calendar, including rosaries and diocesan Marian vigil. Its Marian dimension is part of Singapore's ordinary Catholic devotion.