Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Singapore
Copyright © Timothy Tye.
Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
50 Ophir Road
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is a Catholic church at Ophir Road in Singapore. Constructed in 1888, it is the first Tamil Catholic church in Singapore. The church is modelled after the original church at Lourdes, France. Although architectural historians attributed the design of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes to the architectural firm of Swan & Maclaren, it is more likely that the church was designed by Father Nain, a priest architect who designed many of the Catholic buildings in Singapore at that time. Moreover, as Swan & Maclaren was only formed in 1893, it could not have been designed by them.
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes is housed in a neo-Gothic building. Many conservationists regard it as in need of better maintenance, and the red, grey and yellow redecoration done in 1982 was considered tacky. A more sympathetic coat of white paint was applied in early 1986, and the doors done in two shades of blue. The church continues to be used as a place of worship by Tamil Catholics even today.
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes was gazetted as a national monument on 14 January 2005.
