By Rosemarie John - With the Kuala Lumpur Tower as backdrop, the twin spires of the St. John’s Cathedral reach for the clear blue skies in the middle of Malaysia’s capital city. Established in 1883, the cathedral is the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.
Starting out as a simple long wooden hall with a few windows built on a forested area of Bukit Nanas with a handful of parishioners, St. John’s Cathedral has come a long way today with its foundation stone for a new church structure laid out on 28 March, 1954.
That year also saw the ordination of the First Bishop of Kuala Lumpur, Rev Father Dominic Vendargon whose tomb lies in the centre of the church.
Providing the backdrop to the alter and the most beautiful aesthetic of the cathedral, are the stained glasses from Paris depicting the three gospel scenes in which the patron of the church, St John appears.
If your visit to the church does not coincide with mass, you can opt to visit the church during the day and light a votive candle at the candelabrum instead. Visitors and parishioners alike can also light votive candles outside, at the shrine of the Virgin Mary. Candles play a very important part in the Roman Catholic worship and can be found in several parts of the cathedral.
WEEKEND MASSES:
Saturday: Novena 6.00 pm. ; Sunset Mass 6.30 pm.
Sunday: 8.00 am., 10.30 am. & 6.00 pm.
WEEKDAY MASSES:
Monday through Thursday: Lauds 6.15 am.; Mass 6:30 am.
Friday: Mass 1.00 pm ; During Public Holidays, weekday masses start at 8.00am.
Located in the centre of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur was previously under the sovereignty of the Selangor State Government before it was made a Federal Territory in 1974. St. John’s Cathedral is located at 5 Jalan Bukit Nanas 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Text & Photography by Rosemarie John © All Rights Reserved
Follow Us!