Church of Visitation, Seremban (1948)

The first missionary to have ever set foot on Seremban soil was Fr Pierre Henri Borie MEP, who in 1847, was sent by Bishop John Baptist Boucho MEP, the Vicar Apostolic of Malacca-Singapore, to work among the indigenous people in Seremban.

In 1848, there already existed a small Catholic community thanks to the efforts of Fr Borie. Fr Deluette, a priest from Malacca was appointed to cater to the needs of these few Catholics in Rasah and Seremban. He in turn appointed a catechist based in Rasah to cater to the needs of this small community.

In 1885, Seremban came under the jurisdiction of a priest from Kuala Lumpur, Fr Hector Letessier, MEP.

Initially, he visited Seremban once or twice a year. He later negotiated for a piece of land on which a tiny chapel made of planks and attap was erected. From that moment, his visits became more frequent.

Once every two months, he journeyed to Malacca to hear confessions. The trip took two weeks on a jostling bullock cart over roads which were far from being a credit to their makers. Under such circumstances, it was a great boon for poor Fr Letessier to have a stopping place at Seremban where he could rest his shaken frame and say Mass for his wayside flock. Aptly therefore, the chapel was named Visitation — more out of reference to Fr Letessier’s periodical stops than out of deference to the Blessed Mother.

In 1888, Fr Peter Perrichon, MEP was appointed as the first resident priest for Seremban. Fr Perrichon stayed for a period of five years. When Fr Perrichon was transferred to Ipoh, Fr Letessier had to resume his visits from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban. He could only do it for 3 years, after which he was transferred to Penang.

The next priest who came in 1895, Fr Antoine Catesson, MEP was able to build a new church with money raised mainly by the miners of Broga. Among the benefactors was Goh Ah Ngee who gave a generous donation of $1,500.

The congregation kept on increasing and the priest maintained the principle that the one Church was to serve all Catholics, whether Indians, Chinese or Eurasians — the request of having a second church in Seremban for the Indians was not adopted. So, a much bigger church was needed to cater to the growing community.

In 1910, the Church was extended and two wings were added to the side.

A new presbytery for the Visitation Church was built in 1913, by Fr Salvat Fourgs, MEP who served in the parish from 1903 to 1911 and again from 1919 to 1928.The years 1914 to 1918 saw a lamentable depletion of clergy, most of whom were recalled to Europe during the war. During this time, Fr Georges Auguin, MEP was made responsible for the Catholics in both the districts of Seremban and Malacca. When he was transferred to Singapore, he was succeeded by Fr Noel Maury who was an expert in the Cantonese language.

The year 1922 saw the installation of electric lights in the Church. Catholics were delighted at the innovation and the bill of $500 was readily and easily met by their contributions.After a short holiday in Hong Kong, Fr Auguin was back in Seremban, this time for 15 years (1931 to 1946). One of his thoughts was to rebuild the Church which was now inadequate to hold the growing number of Catholics. Everything was conceived on a vast and grand scale. Only the two side walls were retained, the nave was lengthened almost by half, the roof raised, a new apse and two large wings were added together with a belfry with a steeple that made the Church a landmark in Seremban town.

Nearly every item in the Church was new — bells, statues, altar, organ, pews, confessionals, vestments etc.

Fr Auguin had rebuilt the Church and made it one of the most beautiful in the mission. It was blessed in Sept 1935 by Bishop Adrian Devals, MEP.

A blight fell on the Church during the Japanese occupation in 1942. But it was to the everlasting credit of the Catholic Church that her ministers did not flee in the face of onslaught. Seremban parish suffered least, comparatively. Still caution was the watchword, and the lack of transport plus the gruelling restrictions of the police reduced activities to the minimum. Those hectic months proved a splendid opportunity for conversions, and the scores of converted at that time served to show that God can always draw good out of evil.

In 1944, a memorable event took place at the Church of the Visitation. Catholics saw for the first time, the ordination of four priests — Fr Aloysius Chiew, Fr Anthony Khaw, Fr Anthony Michael and Fr Thomas Chin. Bishop Devals was at that time Governor of the Catholic colony of Bahau. Passport difficulties prevented him from going to Penang which is the usual venue for ordinations.

Hence Seremban was chosen.

September 1945 brought victory and relief when the Japanese were defeated. Once again, the Church resumed normal duties in full vigour and liberty and set upon the task of grappling with post-war problems of reconstruction — morally, spiritually and economically.

The Church of the Visitation saw the last of the French missionaries with the departure of Fr Edward Limat, MEP in 1978. From 1980 onwards, the parish has been shepherded by local clergy. Other than the changes resulting from the transfers of priests, the layout of the parish and the church’s structures have remained unchanged.

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Church of the Primacy of St.Peter (1933)

The Church of the Primacy of Peter is a Franciscan chapel that incorporates part of a 4th-century church. It is located at Tabgha on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee and commemorates Jesus' reinstatement of Peter after a fish breakfast on the shore. (John 21)

The chapel is small and made of grey stone, with a modest tower in one corner.  At the base of the chapel's walls on the west end, the walls of the late 4th-century church are clearly visible on three sides.

Like the early church, the modern chapel incorporates a large portion of the stone "table of Christ" (Latin: Mensa Christi) at the altar. This is where Jesus is believed to have served his disciples a fish breakfast after they landed on shore (John 21:9).

On the lake side of the church are the rock-cut steps mentioned by Egeria as the place "where the Lord stood." (John 21:4).   It is not known when they were carved, but it may have been in the 2^nd or 3^rd  century when this area was quarried for limestone.

Below the steps are six heart-shaped double-column blocks known as the Twelve Thrones, which can be under water when the lake level is high. Originally designed for the angle of a colonnade, they were probably taken from disused buildings and placed here to commemorate the Twelve Apostles. ( Luke 22:30 )

Just beside the church is a small Crusader building. Also nearby are Byzantine water towers that were designed to raise the water level of the powerful springs so that they flowed into a series of irrigation canals and mill-streams.

History

Around 381 AD, the Spanish pilgrim Egeria visited the area and reported that next to the Church of the Loaves and Fishes "are some stone steps where the Lord stood" (John 21:4).  Egeria does not mention a church here, but one was built on the site by the end of the 4th century. It was roughly the same size and shape as the original Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes and its east end enclosed a flat rock identified as the table on which Jesus offered breakfast to the disciples (John 21:9).

In the 9th century, the church is referred to as the Place of the Coals.  This name refers to the incident of Jesus' preparation of meal for the apostles, building a charcoal fire on which to cook the fish. (John21:9)

By 808 AD, the Twelve Thrones had been placed along the shore to commemorate the Twelve Apostles. 

Church of the Beatitudes (1938)

The Church of the Beatitudes is a Roman Catholic church maintained and overseen by the Franciscan Order, located by the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha and Capernaum in Israel. 

The word ‘beatitudes’ originates from the Latin words “beati”, which means ‘blessed’, which is the prefix of each verse.

Location

The traditional location for the Mount of Beatitudes is on the north western shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and Gennesaret (Ginosar). The actual location of the Sermon on the Mount is not certain, but the present site (also known as Mount Eremos) has been commemorated for more than 1600 years. The site is very near Tabgha. Other suggested locations have included the nearby Mount Arbel, or even the Horns of Hattin.

History

Located on a small hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and built on the traditional site of Jesus delivery of the Sermon on the Mount.  Pilgrims are known to have commemorated this site since at least the 4th century.

The current church sits near the ruins of a small Byzantine era church dating to the late 4th century, which contains a rock-cut cistern beneath it and the remains of a small monastery to its southeast. Part of the original mosaic floor has also been recovered and is now on display in Capernaum. 

Design and Construction

The modern church was built between 1936 and 1938 near the site of the fourth century Byzantine ruins. The floor plan is octagonal, the eight sides representing the eight Beatitudes.  The church is Byzantine in style with a marble veneer casing the lower walls and gold mosaic in the dome. In front of the church are mosaic symbols on the pavement representing Justice, Prudence, Fortitude, Temperance, Faith, Hope, and Charity.

The ceiling walls have a shape of an octagon, and on each side there is a window with one of the eight verses in Latin.

The church was commissioned by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and designed by the architect Antonio Barluzzi.

Biblical Account Matthew 51:12 (NIV)

¹Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.  

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Source :

1. Wikipedia

2. Sacred Destinations.com

Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish (1982)

The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, shortened to (The Church of the Multiplication), is a Roman Catholic church located at Tabgha, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The modern church rests on the site of two earlier churches.

History

The earliest recording of a church commemorating Jesus' feeding of the five thousand is by the Spanish pilgrim Egeria circa AD 380.

"Not far away from there (Capernaum) are some stone steps where the Lord stood. And in the same place by the sea is a grassy field with plenty of hay and many palm trees. By them are seven springs, each flowing strongly. And this is the field where the Lord fed the people with the five loaves and two fishes. In fact the stone on which the Lord placed the bread has now been made into an altar. Past the walls of this church goes the public highway on which the Apostle Matthew had his place of custom. Near there on a mountain is a cave to which the Savior climbed and spoke the Beatitudes."

The church was significantly enlarged around the year 480 with floor mosaics also added at this time. These renovations are attributed to the patriarch Matryrios.

In AD 614 Persians destroyed the original Byzantine church, and the exact site of the shrine was lost for some 1,300 years.

In 1888 the site was acquired by the German Catholic society (Deutsche Katholische Palaestinamission) which was associated with the Archdiocese of Cologne.

An initial archeological survey was conducted in 1892, with full excavations beginning in 1932. These excavations resulted in the discovery of mosaic floors from the 5th-century church, which was also found to be built on the foundations of a much smaller 4th-century chapel.

The current church was built in 1982 to the same floor plan as the 5th-century Byzantine church.  Since 1939 it has been administered by the Benedictine order as a daughter-house of the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem.

On 17 June 2015, the church was significantly damaged by an arson attack committed by Jewish extremists. Hebrew graffiti, with the words “the false gods will be eliminated” (quoted from the Aleinu prayer), was sprayed on the church walls and follows a history of right-wing Jewish extremist arson and graffiti attacks against Christian sites.  Four Israeli Jews age 18 to 24 (plus an unnamed minor) were arrested by the Israel police and indicted for the arson. The suspects are reportedly associated with the Jewish extremist, ultra-nationalist "Hilltop Youth".

Interior

Layout

The interior of the church has a central nave and two aisles. The sanctuary is backed by an apse with transepts on either side. Under the altar is a block of limestone found during excavation,  that is venerated as the stone on which the miraculous meal was laid.

Mosaics

One of the main highlights of the church are its restored 5th century mosaics. These mosaics are the earliest known examples of figured pavement in Christian art in the Holy Land. The mosaics in the two transepts depict various wetland birds and plants, with a prominent place given to the lotus flower. This flower, which is not indigenous to the area, suggests the artist's use of a Nilotic landscape popular in Roman and early-Byzantine art. All the other motifs depict plants and animals from the Galilee. The mosaics found in front of the altar depict two fish flanking a basket containing loaves of bread.

Fifth century remains 

Also preserved in the modern church are the sill of the left entrance to the atrium, basalt paving stones, and part of the apse frieze. The foundations of the original 4th-century church can also be seen under a glass panel to the right of the altar. Basalt presses and a font are also displayed in the courtyard.

Biblical Accounts
Matthew 14:13-21
Mark 6:30-44
Luke 9:10-17
John 6:1-15

source : Wikipedia