KUCHING: The new St Peter’s Catholic Church, a magnificent structure which incorporates semi-gothic architecture, is poised to become a transformative addition to the city landscape, according to its rector Father Vincent Chin.
In a recent interview with New Sarawak Tribune, Chin envisioned St Peter’s Church transcending from its primary role as a place of worship, to also become a prominent landmark and tourist attraction.
“What we are hoping for is for St Peter’s Church to become a landmark i. Even now, the public has been eagerly inquiring about when it will be open for visits,” he remarked, highlighting the buzz surrounding the church in the community.
Chin, who oversees the church’s entire development, also expressed hopes for the church to become a symbol of unity and religious harmony.
“The state government often emphasises on unity and religious harmony among the people.
“The project is in line with state’s plan to foster religious harmony, and it will definitely contribute to that image of religious diversity and harmony here in Kuching,” he said.
Positioned strategically at one end of Padungan, flanked by a mosque at the city’s other end with an Hindu temple and several Buddhist temples nearby, the church fittingly encapsulates the city’s religious diversity.
Providing an update on the construction progress, Chin said the construction stands at an impressive 82 per cent since the project’s commencement in September 2019.
The exterior construction is mostly completed and interior work is currently underway. While acknowledging minor delays, he projected a grand opening in early 2025.
“We are working towards early 2025 for the grand opening, but no dates have been set yet. We are still in the midst of working on some of the details,” he said.
Touching on the gothic architecture of the church, he explained that the decision to embrace gothic architecture stemmed from a commitment to ‘tradition’, encouraged by the then Archbishop of Kuching, Archbishop Emeritus Datuk John Ha to stay true to the church’s historical roots.
“When I asked him about his definition of ‘tradition’, he showed me the first gothic church we had, the old St Joseph’s Cathedral.
“On certain historical periods of the church history, stained glass is used to tell the story about Jesus’ life.
“That’s why if you go to a gothic church, you can see that there is a lot of stained glass usage, either telling the story of the church or Jesus’ life.
“Therefore, the church uses it as a way of passing on the faith, and a gothic church today will give the present generation appreciation of the richness of church history and faith.
The stained glass windows stand as a significant feature of the church. Brought in by Italian artisans Roberto Fasoli and Ernesto Raducci, who hail from Milan, the stained glass inject an aura of magnificence to the church building.
The stained glass can be seen around the walls of the church, with the left and right interior walls designed to fit 20 pieces of stained glass; alongside additional pieces on the entrance and back wall of the church, as well as the walls surrounding bell towers.
The stained glass windows which cover the side walls of the church depict the 14 stations of the cross, a 14-step catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ’s passion and death.
However, as there is space for 20 stained glass pieces, Chin personally designed six additional pictures that depict the ‘before and after’ of the event.
Additionally, Chin has taken the liberty to integrate local traditional elements, such as the Iban warrior shield design, into some stained-glass pieces, enhancing the cultural resonance of the church.
Beyond its spiritual role, he highlighted that the church is part of a broader master plan to transform the surrounding area.
The masterplan includes a columbarium, which has since been completed, the ongoing construction of the church, followed by a parish hall next to the church and a hostel block providing accommodation for students from St Joseph’s International School.
