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St Mary's Cathedral Is A Popular Kuala Lumpur Church(http://www.articles-r-free.com/rss.php?rss=190)
by Lance Thorington
Submitted 2010-02-18
St Mary's Cathedral is a Kuala Lumpur Church that adheres to Christianity. It forms part of the Anglican diocese in South East Asia, and is situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It was consecrated on 13 February 1887 by the Bishop of Singapore, the Right Reverend George Frederick Hose.
The original church was made of wood. It was situated on Bukit Aman hill in Bluff Road. The building is now used by the Royal Malaysian Police. In its early days, St Mary's served a small congregation of Anglicans in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas.
Six years after the original church was built, it was decided to build a new church to cater for the ever-growing number of worshippers. The congregation raised part of the funds for this, while the Selangor government donated 5,000 Straits dollars. Other contributions came from prominent people such as K Thamboosamy Pillay and Yap Kwan Seng, even though they were not of the Christian faith.
There was great excitement on 3 February 1894 when the first stone was laid by Sir W H Treacher, a Briton who was living in Selangor. The ceremony was conducted by Bishop G F Hose. One year later, he consecrated the completed church. It was the first church to be built with bricks in Kuala Lumpur.
Another significant event was when the pipe organ was installed in 1895. It was made by a British organ maker, Henry Willis. His claim to fame was building the organ at St Paul's Cathedral in London, as well as the original organ at the Royal Albert Hall.
The design of the new church was done by an architect who worked for the government, A C Norman, who was asked to create a design along the lines of Gothic architecture. Prior to this, the church committee organized a competition inviting parishioners to submit their ideas for a design. Unfortunately none of the entries were considered good enough.
The building has an 87 foot long nave with a width of 28 feet. The chancel has is 29 x 22 feet with an organ chamber and a vestry. The nave can cater for 180 worshippers, while the chancel can accommodate a 20-man choir. The rear section of the sanctuary was extended in 1958 so that the Jubilee Hall could be built.
Another renowned church in Kuala Lumpur is St Andrew's Presbyterian Church which is also known as the International Church of Kuala Lumpur. This church has a history of highs and lows caused by periods of peace and war. Nothing deterred the many worshippers from attending services, whether it was in times of economic depression or prosperity.
During the bad times, the weather also became an enemy for the people. In 1926 an enormous flood destroyed offices and shops in Kuala Lumpur. Thankfully St Andrew's was not badly affected. It stood firm and served its dedicated parishioners who doggedly make their way to services.
When the economy recovered fully in the 1930s, new life was breathed into St Andrew's, and 2 graduates from Westminster came to the pulpit. These were Rev A H Pringle (1935) and Rev Alfred Webb (1939). For Alfred Webb, this appointment was close to his heart as he was born in Singapore. From this time onwards, the church has grown from strength to strength.
Author Resource:- St Mary's Cathedral is a Kuala Lumpur Church that adheres to Christianity. It forms part of the Anglican diocese in South East Asia, and is situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. More info on this great church now on http://www.kingdomcity.com.
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