the novena church

( my kampong neighbour cheng and i posing at novena in 1965)

although, for thirty years, i lived a stone throw from the novena church along thomson road, there was only one time when i ventured inside the church building. that was when, as a curious teenager, i accompanied a catholic friend to observe a service in progress. i have also been aware that in the past, the congregations were largest on friday evenings and on saturdays.

before the row of terrace houses along jalan novena terrace were built, there was a short-cut from my kampong to thomson road. it was a path that was not well used because the owner of the house by the path did not seem pleased to have their privacy intruded. we would not and could not use the path at night because there was no lighting at all.

as a young boy, there was one incident that made me realise how tolerant the traditional chinese were of other religions and that they would worship many gods. one day, as my mother and i walked past the novena church, she turned and faced the church and putting her two palms together, she prayed. i asked her why she did that and her reply was: the 'western god' is more powerful than our 'oriental gods'.

the area around the church has undergone very much change but the facade of the church has remained unchanged over the years. the seventh-day adventist school across the road has also remained quite intact but that building was built later. i think the novena church had already been there before we moved into the kampong.

i did not know that it is called the church of st alphonsus. all along, i have referred to it as the novena. it is so well-known that roads, buildings and the mrt station in the vicinity take after its name.