Sg Buloh Chapel blessed and re-opened

Some 230 parishioners gathered at the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes on June 16 for the blessing and re-opening of the 80 year-old chapel, located in t

Jul 04, 2019

By Bernard Anthony
Some 230 parishioners gathered at the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes on June 16 for the blessing and re-opening of the 80 year-old chapel, located in the National Leprosy Control Centre.

Msgr Leonard Lexson was the main celebrant, with Chapel Administrator Fr Alan Pereira, Fr Michael Chua, Fr Surain Durai Raj, Fr Albet Arockiasamy and Fr Dominic Tan concelebrating.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes was closed last year after Easter for repairs/renovation works.
As it was also the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Msgr Leonard spoke about the feast. “God delights in us. Let our celebration delight God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Recognise the presence of God in thought, word and deed in daily action.

“This feast calls us to acknowledge the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our life. Despite our struggles, choose to walk in a state of grace and let go of what does not lead us to God.”

After Mass, Fr Alan thanked the residents from the Valley of Hope for their donations and all benefactors for their contributions in cash or kind towards the cost of the renovation. He also commended those who came forward to help in cutting the grass and related duties, the organising committee, the contractor who donated some items. He also thanked the priests present and informed that Mass will be celebrated at 5.00pm every Sunday.

The leprosy settlement, known as the Valley of Hope, was built by the British in 1926. To encourage community activities, a variety of clubs were set up in the leprosy settlement. Religious institutions like churches, temples and mosques were built as a source of spiritual support for the community. The chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes was built in 1939 for the Catholics in the settlement.

Since 1969, the area, officially renamed the National Leprosy Control Centre, has been equipped with facilities and amenities to turn it into a garden city, allowing the community to become self-supporting. After the late 1960s, there were no more admissions to the centre. Today, some 200 elderly former leprosy patients still live in the area, either in their own homes or in hospital quarters. Pressure from the Save the Valley of Hope group to preserve the settlement encouraged the authorities to designate 78ha of the total 230ha area to be gazetted as a national heritage.

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