By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Aug 30: The faithful in Sarawak are called to generously donate to assist in the construction of RM38 million St Peter’s Church in Padungan which will be the only fully stained glass church in Sarawak upon completion.
According to St Peter’s Church Rector Reverend Fr Vincent Chin, Italian stained glass craftsmen are presently at work at the church, which is already 57 per cent completed. Hopefully, it will be fully operational before Christmas 2024.
“The initial scheduled date was Feb 2024, but due to MCO, it will be delayed till Oct 2024,” said Chin.
Appealing to generous donors, Chin said those interested in assisting may contact St Peter’s Parish at 082429140 or email stpeterpadungan777@gmail.com.
The Gothic architecture-inspired building is set to be a prominent landmark in Kuching city, with stained glass as the main feature.
The old St Peter’s Church was built in 1949 and could only accommodate about 800 worshippers at one time.
As its foundation was beginning to give way, as shown by many signs of cracking all over the building and the fact that there is a growing Catholic population going to church, especially during festivals, the new St Peter’s Church is built at Padungan to cater for the need.
Chin, during the earth-breaking ceremony of the construction project held on Oct 20, 2019, said the new church was inspired by the ideas and concepts of the churches he visited around the world.
He said the main factor to consider when building the new church was ensuring that the faithful had a conducive worship environment.
Once completed, apart from the main church building, there will be a multipurpose hall with an attached office block, an eight-storey hostel for an international school, a four-storey formation centre, a two-storey columbarium and ample parking, all contained in an area of almost 12 acres. — DayakDaily
