Novena Church

O come to the throne of grace, O come to the heart most pure

One would think that not many people would have the time for traditional piety in Singapore, which is such a fast-paced, modern city - even more so than the US with its large rural and traditional areas. A visit to the Church of St. Alphonsus on a Saturday would dispel that notion at once. The Saturday Novena which gives the church the name it is more popularly known by - Novena Church - is proof that traditional Catholic piety still has a place in our hearts. Novenas are held hourly, throughout the entire day, every week. It's so beautiful to see the multitudes that arrive every hour to attend the novena. Each session draws crowds that overflow out of the church building.  The men and women who come each Saturday are not all Catholics. Many non-Christians bring petitions to Our Lady asking for help or write in thanking Her for Her intercession. I've spotted a Sikh turban in the crowds once.

At Novena Church, unlike most other churches in Singapore, you will see people praying in front of the icon of our Lady of Perpetual Succour; women kissing the picture; people bringing flowers. We sometimes tend to be uncomfortable with some of these practises, perhaps seeing in them hints of superstition, or thinking that they detract from the worship of God alone. We think that praying in front of a picture of Mary while not paying too much attention to Christ in the Tabernacle is just wrong and bordering on idolatry. A Protestant would certainly see it this way, and many of us 'modern' Catholics might agree. I once wondered about these practices myself. But I firmly believe that God sees great faith and beautiful simplicity in the heart of an old lady reaching up to touch a picture of Our Lady. I'm not saying here that we should ignore Christ's real presence in the Tabernacle while we go about our devotions. We know that Love dwells in that Tabernacle and we must pay Him the reverence and adoration that is His due. But we mustn't spurn the simple faith of those who seek God at the feet of an image of Mary.

Still on the topic of simple faith - have you noticed that there's something special about Marian hymns; they all sound so humble and full of child-like faith and love? And it's not just the words - it seems to be the case with the tunes themselves.

Another thing that strikes me when I visit Novena Church is the number of people that seek Christ in the Sacrament of Confession. Confession lines have been getting shorter and shorter in recent decades. Singaporeans, I think, do still go for Confession - most churches in Singapore do have a sizable number of people going for confession every Sunday, something which I don't observe back in Sri Lanka and Oman. But Novena Church takes this to a different level altogether. There are long queues for Confession before and after each novena session. And I was so surprised to realise that this wasn't just a Saturday phenomenon (though even that would have still been a wonderful thing). I've attended weekday lunchtime Mass at Novena Church several times during the last month - there's a line of Confession even on weekdays! This begs some question. Why do we say that today's Catholics do not want to go for Confession? Is there something special about Novena Church that so many go for Confession there? Is it that at Novena Church Catholics are given greater opportunity to go for Confession? The doors of mercy are thrown wide open here - going for Confession isn't something that only a few people do: at Novena Church the message is that everyone is welcome to seek God's healing and mercy. The confessional booth is open all the time; going for Confession is normal. I wish these long lines at the confessional was a common sight at the other parishes too. The people obviously want access to the Sacrament. Perhaps they aren't provided with the sufficient opportunity in other parishes?


Ferninda also has a little reflection on her visit to Novena Church. Check it out at her aptly named blog, Bottled Sunshine. Hehee :)