Building Projects
The Church has to ensure everyone has a place to worship and serve God, as well as find care, love, and community.
To do this, the property arm of the archdiocese, the Archdiocesan Land & Properties Singapore (ALPS), is developing a master plan of the archdiocese’s properties. The master plan will be critical in planning for the optimal use of the Church’s physical structures.
Over the years, the Church’s buildings have been renovated as they aged, with the most recent major renovation being the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. A new parish in Punggol, the Church of the Transfiguration, was completed in 2017, and St Joseph’s Church (Victoria Street) is undergoing renovation.
Besides the parishes, the archdiocese has other properties that are funded by the GIFT Campaign.
- A Catholic Hub (phase 1 to begin in late 2020)
- Bethany East Clergy Residence (completed)
- St Francis Xavier Seminary Building (completed)
In addition, sinking funds, which do not currently exist for almost all of the Church’s properties, have been introduced.
The next major building project for the next four years is the Catholic Hub.
Catholic Hub
In line with the vision of the archdiocese, the number of retreats, talks, courses, programmes, services and other initiatives developed by numerous archdiocesan organisations are expected to increase in the years to come.
At present, however, the Church is already facing a squeeze to provide the needed space and facilities for the numerous programmes of archdiocesan organisations.
Bethany East
St Francis Xavier (SFX) Seminary Building
After almost 30 years of usage, facilities at the Punggol premises of the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary were in need of upgrading. Coupled with the limited lease of the land, a decision was made to look for a new and more permanent home for the seminary.
Hence, the SFX Seminary Building was built on freehold land within the compound of St Joseph’s Church (Bukit Timah), and features a multi-purpose hall, a library, a chapel and ten classrooms.
It is the new home for the seminarians and formators of the Major Seminary. The building will also house the Catholic Theological Institute of Singapore (CTIS) whose training facilities will cater to the formation of the laity.
It was completed in June 2018 at an estimated cost of over $19 million.