Preamble of history from 1500 to 2000 for St Peter and Paul and early Catholic education for first Chief Minister David Marshall

In the past way back in the 1500s before Singapore was founded it was under the diocese of Goa where the famous St Francis Xavier was spreading the gospel. Then it moved the diocese of Siam, under Bishop Corvesy and finally the diocese of Siam split in 1841 to become the diocese of eastern Siam or the diocese of Malacca Peninsula comprising Singapore, Penang , Malacca, Mergui and Tarvoy and the diocese of Wet Siam and finally to the diocese of Singapore in 1977 under Archbishop Gregory Yong.

The MEP formed an important missionary force in SouthEast Asia. Founded in the 1650, in Paris, by their holy founder Jesuit priest, Father Alexandre De Rhodes. Their mission took them through time and space to the founding of Singapore's Catholic churches. In between it had a strong influence in Vietnam, previously known as Saigon. The sites in Ho Chih Minh like the famous Notre Dame Basilica is testament to that.


Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in 1819 and remarked it was a fantastic country for entrepôt trade and saw the potential in this this fishing settlement where very few or any Catholics lived. An article in the book of St Joseph Church stated there were only 5 Catholics in the beginning in Singapura. The meaning of Singapura was given by Sang Nila Utama as he saw a lion in Singapore and so he called it the Lion City. This was in the 13th Century and till this date it is called Singapore, a derivation of the name from our ancient Sultanate past.

St Peter and Paul as mother church also attracted a lot of immigrants particularly those from Swatow. Thus it became a Teochew church.
Turn back the clock to early years was the Father Pierre Paris also a French MEP. He built the church on 1870 and his remains are in the church

The early Cathechist served the immigrants porridge during the night class. These immigrants felt the church was doing good to their children who were in SJI. And some were converted by the French MEP priests. When the "patriarch" was converted, for example , the grandfather it made it easier for the rest of the family to receive baptism.

The church also had helpers and assistants who served faithfully for daily mass. The surroundings schools such as SJI , the CHIJ as well as the Catholic influence given to these children formed then in their later years and some were married to Catholic spouses and converted.

In the early years there were the police wearing gray pants and they were under the David Marshall government. He himself was educated in the nearby SJI before moving to St Andrew and Raffles institution. He lived from 1909 to 1995, indicating the influence of the early French MEPs in Singapore who had a part to play in the chief ministers education. He was probably educated in the SJI about 1920s which again had its roots from the mother church St Peter and Paul.

In the early days in the Peranakan family culture , the Nonya was the matriarch. If she had been converted the rest of the family will be more inclined to follow. Old customs of burning joss paper will be replaced by going to daily mass and occasionally participating in fun fairs and church activities and also together with priests for dinner and fellowship and functions. The French MEP fathers played an important role together with his church assistants, the Sacristans, the organists, the cathechists, and the church keepers and church cooks and cleaners. Many volunteers therefore assisted. There were two orphans called Pautolok and Pektolok , names meaning Peter and Paul. They played the organs and rang the bells faithfully everyday.

St Peter and Paul influence was far and wide. From the early days of inception, where the coolies and men from China sporting braided pig tails had come to avoid persecution and communism in China then under Mao Tse Tung to the days of modern Singapore where the church stands as a national monument gazetted for conservation in 2003.  Like its history it underwent major renovations. In one of the renovations the plank fell and killed a Monsigneur. In another part of its history the French MEP died entourage back from his sabbatical in France on the ship and his body was carried back. There was a grand funeral which many parishioners remembered attending. The French influence was stamped indelibly on the church in the early days. It's architecture is also Gothic and tall spiked building represented the French buildings. Even the statue of the St Peter was modeled after the one in France. Contrast the architecture to the newer church buildings in Singapore which does not have the spiked roofs if churches like St Peter and Paul, and the Sacred heart. And replete with bells. 

Early Singapore Archbishop Olcomendy featured strongly too. He guided the church through Post War Singapore, encouraging the formation of St Vincent de Paul society which helped the poor. He also was in church of Marist brothers , and the SJI and until Archbishop Gregory Yong who took over the Archdiocese of Singapore in 1976 we were part of a subset of the regional Archdiocese.

Modern St Peter and Paul had boasted of a revamp in 2001 when the adoration and columbarium and a new parish building was constructed and that was on the back of S$7 million being raised by well wishers and parishioners.