By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Aug 14: The state capital will have a new prominent landmark once the new RM38 million St Peter’s Church in Padungan is completed within the next four years.
St Peter’s Church Padungan parish rector, Reverend Father Vincent Chin, said the church design based on Gothic architecture with stain glass windows will be able to accommodate about 1,200 worshippers at any one time.
“We hope to start the project by September this year. When it is completed in four years’ time, it will be a new landmark not only among the churches in Kuching but also a new landmark for the whole city,” Fr Chin told DayakDaily here today.
As for the funding, he hoped church members and generous individuals will continue to come forward to assist.
The priest, who has an architecture background, said the design of the new church was inspired on the ideas and concepts of churches he experienced and visited around the world.
The church project will include a multipurpose hall, office, hostel, a plaza and parking lots.
“The most important thing is for the faithful to have a conducive environment to worship. That is the first and foremost in our mind when we decided to build the new church,” he said.
Fr Chin, who is a liturgist by training, said 20 per cent of the 5,000 slots in the columbarium have been taken up.
The RM6 million columbarium, which was completed last year, is the first of such facility in Sabah and Sarawak.
St Peter’s Church Padungan covers an area of almost 12 acres and includes a school, a convent, parish centre and priest quarters. — DayakDaily
