TAIPING — Catholics in Taiping recently ce-lebrated a momentous milestone — the 150th anniversary of the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH), located in Klian Pauh.
Founded in 1875 by French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP), OLSH holds the distinction of being the oldest church in Perak and the third oldest within the Diocese of Penang. It is one of two Catholic churches in this historical town, the other being the Church of St Louis, established in 1897.
The two churches operated as separate parishes until 1997, when Bishop Antony Selvanayagam unified them under a single parish named the Taiping Catholic Church (TCC).
This year’s celebration was especially meaningful for parishioners, as OLSH had been closed for the past five years due to the construction of the Ozanam Retirement Village (ORV) on adjacent land.
To commemorate the 150th anniversary, TCC parish priest Monsignor Stephen Liew organised a Triduum at OLSH, beginning on Thursday, May 29, the Feast of the Ascension.
The opening Mass was celebrated by Msgr Jude Miranda of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Pulau Tikus, Penang. Msgr Jude, who served as TCC parish priest from 2010 to 2018, played a pivotal role in the restoration and enhancement of OLSH while preserving its historical character.
On the second day, Fr Aloysius Tan from the Church of St Michael, Ipoh, presided over a Mandarin Mass, acknowledging OLSH’s historical roots as a predominantly Chinese-speaking parish before the merger in 1997.
The Triduum culminated on Saturday, May 31, with the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated by Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang.
Following the solemn Mass, a procession of the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart took place through several kilometres of Taiping town, drawing the faithful together in public witness of their devotion.
In his homily, Cardinal Sebastian reflected on the importance of continuity in sustaining and strengthening the Catholic faith — both locally and globally. He spoke of how the legacy of the late Pope Francis continues through his successor, Pope Leo IV, mirroring how the foundations laid by the French missionaries have flourished in Taiping over the past 150 years.
Among those present at the Mass were Taiping MP Wong Kah Woh, who also serves as Deputy Education Minister, along with Aulong assemblyman Teh Kok Lim and Pokok Assam assemblyman Ong Seng Guan, all from the Democratic Action Party (DAP).
The celebration concluded with a 150th anniversary dinner held on Sunday, June 1, at Dewan St Louis, attended by over 700 guests, including Cardinal Sebastian, clergy from various parishes, and local dignitaries.
During the event, Teh Kok Lim, who is also a Perak state executive councillor, pledged a RM10,000 donation to TCC in honour of the anniversary.
