The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Chinese: 圣母圣诞堂) is a Roman Catholic church in Singapore. It is located in Hougang, the North-East Region of Singapore, and is within the Serangoon District. It is well known as the oldest Catholic church for the Teochew community in Serangoon.
History
Beginnings in Aukang
Before the arrival of pioneer priest Father Ambrose Maistre in 1852, there was already a significant Catholic community in Aukang (Teochew moniker for Hougang) or Kangkar, the area surrounding Serangoon River. He went on to set up a station to serve the Catholics in this rural district and the first baptism took place in 1853. An attap (thatched roof) chapel and small presbytery was also erected after Father Maistre acquired approximately 37-acres of land from the British East India company. It was later converted into a small brick church named St Mary's Chapel. The remainder of the land acquired was allocated to parishioners in the area for their settlement.
The parish consisted mainly of Teochew farmers and fish dealers residing in Serangoon, Hougang and Punggol. Earliest statistics recorded the presence of approximately 700 Chinese in the region. The first settlers were Chinese Catholics who hailed from Siam and Malacca whereas later migrants were mainly from Teochew Swatow in Southeastern China. Most did not migrate as a family or clan, and therefore, shared no common ancestors. While some converted to Catholicism after arriving in Singapore, missionary activities of the Dominican and Franciscan friars in Southeastern China as early as the seventeenth century meant that many already embraced the faith before their migration.
Moreover, the pioneering priests were able to forge strong ties with the Teochews residing in Hougang. It is believed that the similarities the Teochews and French priests shared – being “good conversationalists who enjoy social events” – led the Teochews to be open to evangelisation. As such, conversion of new settlers was successful as the need for an expansion of the church became apparent between 1894 and 1896. It was said that half the parishioners – mostly women and children – had to stand outside the brick chapel during Mass.
Construction, 1898–1901
The present building of the church was commissioned to be built in 1898 to cater to the burgeoning Catholic community in the district by Father Jean Casimir Saleilles, parish priest from 1881 to 1911. It was designed in a neo-Gothic style by French priest Father Charles Benedict Nain, and could accommodate around 650 parishioners. Located at the junction of 73/4 milestones Upper Serangoon Road and Punggol Road (known as Hougang Ave 8 today), construction was completed in 1901. Officially blessed on 8 December 1901 by Bishop Rene Michel-Marie Fee, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the church was renamed Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Expansion, 1933
However, by the 1930s, the church had to be expanded again to accommodate the growing parish; general attendance at Mass rose to 1350. The size of the original church was thus doubled with the addition of the side transepts, the sanctuary and sacristy in 1933.
Widespread activities of secret societies plaguing the area between the 1850s and 1920s meant that settlers had to seek a protector. The church soon became that protector since she had a huge congregation and “church members would stand up for one another when conflicts with outsiders arose”. Such protection would continue throughout the Japanese Occupation when the church served as a sanctuary where parishioners could hide from the Japanese.
Education
The church also played a prominent role in offering education and religious instruction to parishioners and settlers in Hougang. Tao Nan School was founded as a Chinese medium school in 1892, and is known as Holy Innocents’ High School today. Holy Innocents’ English School was then established as a parish school in 1916 to the left of the church premises. Later taken over by the Gabrielite Brothers and renamed Monfort's School in 1936. After a split by educational stages in 1992, Monfort Junior School and Monfort Secondary School still stand in Hougang today. Holy Innocents’ Chinese Girls’ School was founded in 1932. It is known as Holy Innocents’ Primary School today after it amalgamated with the primary section of Holy Innocents’ High School in 1985. Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Punggol was established in 1957 and was renamed CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity in 2001.