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The aim of the society is to raise local clergy for the establishment of a local church and to develop missionary activities in collaboration with local Christians and clergy.
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The Missionary Society The MEP is not a religious congregation. It is a society of secular priests dedicated exclusively to missionary work. The Paris Foreign Missions Society (Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris) was founded in France in 1663 by Bishop François Pallu and Bishop Lambert de la Motte. They were sent to Asia as Apostolic Vicars of the Pope, with detailed instructions for the evangelization of vast territories stretching from Thailand to China and the establishment of local churches. |
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| Their first task was to open a seminary in Thailand in 1665. Over time, the MEP missionaries opened new mission centers and organized Christian communities in many countries extending from India to Korea and Japan. Three centuries later, there were more than one hundred dioceses founded by the MEP throughout Asia. In the course of their mission, about 200 missionaries suffered violent deaths. Among them, 23 martyrs (Korea, Vietnam and China) have been canonized by Pope John Paul II. Today, except for Cambodia, all its missions – South China, Manchuria, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore, Burma and South India – are now in the hands of local bishops and clergy. Malaya – Singapore At first, part of the mission of Siam, the mission of the Malacca Peninsula (covering Malaya and Singapore) was established in 1841 under the care of MEP Apostolic Vicars. In 1558, the diocese of Malacca had been established by the Portuguese, but after the appointment of the last Portuguese bishop in 1804, the see fell vacant. The diocese was “revived” in 1888, when the Apostolic Vicar, Msgr E. Gasnier, MEP, was appointed bishop of Malacca. In 1955, the diocese of Malacca was divided into three: Penang and Kuala Lumpur – under the care of local bishops - and Malacca-Singapore, to form a province with Malacca-Singapore as archdiocese. With the creation of the Malacca-Johor diocese, Kuala Lumpur became the head of the province. Since then, the Archdiocese of Singapore is directly attached to the Holy See. The last MEP Archbishop of Singapore was Msgr M. Olçomendy, who was succeeded in 1977 by Archbishop Gregory Yong. |
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The MEP in Singapore The MEP missionaries first took residence in Singapore in 1832. The “founder” of Catholic Singapore was Fr Jean Marie Beurel (1813-1872) who arrived in October 1839. Appointed parish priest in April 1840, he replaced the small chapel, built in June 1833, with the Church of the Good Shepherd in 1847. He brought in the La Salle Christian Brothers and the Infant Jesus Sisters to open Catholic schools (SJI, 1852; Town Convent, 1854). |
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As Singapore grew, the Catholic population increased and more churches had to be built. There were 9 of them at the break of WWII and a Minor Seminary. After the war, the MEP founded 12 new parishes. |
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| The MEP Fathers present in Singapore in 2008 are: | |
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| Regional Superior: | Rev Fr Michel Arro, MEP (St Teresa) Rev Fr Louis Loiseau, MEP (Risen Christ) Rev Fr Joseph Jeannequin, MEP (IHM) Rev Fr Claude Barreteau, MEP (Bethany Home) Rev Fr André Christophe, MEP (St. Joseph, Victoria St) Rev Fr Jean Nguyen Van Dich, MEP (Holy Spirit) Rev Fr Grégoire Van Giang, MEP (OLPS) Rev Fr Bruno Saint Girons, MEP (Lady of Lourdes) Rev Fr Paul Ngo Thanh Phong, MEP (Holy Trinity) |
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Address: |
MEP Mission House 47-A La Salle St, Singapore 456947 Tel: 6445-6092 Fax: 6241-5874 |
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| Priest-in-charge: Rev Fr René Nicolas |
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| Hotlinks: | Missions Etrangères de Paris |
| The Paris Foreign Missions Society | |
| Veritas | |
| Catholic News article – Magnificent Founders of Singapore Church | |
