About a famous 93 year old Sacristan of the church and her story of the church of St Peter and Paul

Teresa Seet was born 15 Jun 1921 at Bukit Mertajam. She is currently 93 years old(2014) and just celebrated her birthday last year with church Fathers.

Father Michael Seet was the first local Chinese Priest in the family. He chose to come to Singapore with my grandmother. They were staying in the Convent.

Michael Seet and her grandfather Seet Kiam Koo were brothers.

There were three houses next to church. Their significance toward St Peter and Paul history were that they housed three important families with three instrumental ministries:  cathechist, organist and sacristans.Teresa's husband was the Sacristan before Teresa took over, and they lived in the house nearest to the church. Peter Low's grandfather was the organist He already almost 70 so his grandfather time would be even longer in church history. The Cathechists were the Yaw family. In  that order were the three houes on Queen Street which housed three important families.

In 1960 they were asked to leave, and were paid $6000 by the Marist brothers from the Catholic High School.
A three storey building was subsequently built on the church compound.
Today, the Carmelite brothers were on the the 3rd storey.
In the past, first storey were for the sacristan. Till present day, Teresa Seet has a room there as she looks after the church.

Josephine Seet,is her daughter and she is in charge of St Cecilia Choir and is the 4th generation of the Seet Family starting from two generations before Father Michael Seet. We won the Merenti medal. Including my granddaughter we are now 6 generations.
My mother also won the Bene Merenti Medal from St Pope John Paul the second.

Do you remember of any famous processions?

There was the Corpus Christi procession. It went round the field and starting from Cathedral. Prior to 1965 no police permit required and it was a grand event, and we went around the City area where the Cathedral was.

During Father Barrateau time there was sanctuary for the altar. Later podium for commentator was taken away.

Father Matthias Tung also did the renovation to church during the Second Vatican council where changes were made.

As for the fate of the statues, St Cecelia is still on the the choir loft. St Joseph's statue had "moved" to SJI whilst St Michael statue is now in St Michael School.

During Father Francis Lau time, Richard Tan was the organist.He still plays until now.

The Altar rail was before Vatican Council II.
Father Noel Goh later went to Holy trinity. When he died, his body was placed here at St Peter and Paul. He was the Vicar General.
She recalls three Fathers who served here,  Father Paul Tong now at Sacred heart.  Father Matthias Tung later and  Father Paul Goh.

New priest were trained here. It is the mother church for all other churches according to the Seets. There also spawned two from my grandfather Father Michael Seet and sister Michael Seet, the grandfather was Augustine Seet.

Mrs Seet great grand father was also Cathechist. They taught Teochew Cathechism. The Hakka would go to Sacred Heart Church. Porridge was provided for the catechumen's too.

Her Grandfather also used to make paschal candles.

Josephine's St Cecilia choir has been around for 50 years.

As for their ancestors, they were buried at Bidadari . Thereafter they were exhumed and I remember Chan Teck Ghee body was in a way incorrupt as was much intact. Father Michael Seet was also buried there. However they were exhumed later and cremated.

The remains for Father Michael Seet was interred in the church. As there were more than 10 relatives, remains had to be exhumed and arrangements had to be made for each of them.

In the photo, second from left was my Grandfather Augustine Seet. Great grandfather was a Cathechist too. They cooked for the people porridge in the night classes. This confirmed Teresa was two generation before Father Michael Seet.( If she was born in 1912, two generations assuming a about three decades would take them back toward the church history in 1888. )


In early history, Hakkas went to Sacred Heart church, Eurasians to St Joseph Church and the Hokkiens to St Teresa.

The grotto of Mother Mary and St Bernadette was shifted to near where Father's office is now, to the back. The stained glass in the middle was very important evidence of the strong devotion to our Lady of Lourdes.


During that time in Fen 11, 1858 , our Lady appeared to St Bernadette at Lourdes. Devotion to our Lady of Lourdes which spread to Singapore was very strong. ( Subsequently Our lady of Lourdes was built in 1888. This evidenced the devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes from early days of Singapore till this day)