The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was blessed and officially opened in 1888. This is the first TamilCatholic church in Singapore. The building site was obtained in 1885 and the cornerstone laid on 1 August 1886 by Bishop Gasnier, D.D. and Sir Frederick A. Weld, G. C M. G in an official ceremony that was witnessed by a number of religious and laity. It bears a resemblance to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, in France. Within the Church building itself is a grotto with life-sized statues depicting the appearance of Our Lady appearing to Saint Bernadette.[1]
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was gazetted as a national monument on 14 January 2005. As a national monument, it was given funding from the National Monuments Fund, administrated by the National Heritage Board, in 2016 for renovation works.[2]
Architecture
In 2009, the church building underwent restoration works to resemble the original church at a budget of S$1.75 million.[3] It was completed in October 2010.