The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is the oldest Catholic Church in Singapore, and its design is rather simple as compared to the other cathedrals.
It was back in 1833, that with a small but growing Catholic community, a place of worship was blessed and opened at the site.
Then in 1843, the foundation stone was laid and in 1847, the Church of the Good Shepherd was blessed and opened.
In 1888 it was elevated to the status of a cathedral and on the 14th February 1897, it was consecrated as a cathedral.
The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd has a fascinating association with the history of Korea's Catholic Martyrs.
Saint Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert, in all probability the first Catholic priest to the island, died a martyr in Korea and the church's name "Good Shepherd" was inspired by what he wrote knowing the persecutions the missionaries will face "In desperate circumstances, the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep."
Just a very brief history of the Cathedral, the mother church of the Archdiocese. And as we can see it had humble beginnings and a slow but steady growth.
So today as we celebrate the dedication of the Cathedral, we are also reminded of our humble beginnings and also to look ahead with faith and humility in the midst of the many changes in the Church as well as in the world.
Just as the design of the Cathedral is simple and humble, let us also be simple and humble in the way of faith and in our way of life.