Church of the Holy Cross (Singapore)

 

At a glance

Address: 450 Clementi Avenue 1, Singapore 129955 • Phone: 6777 5858

 

A parish built in the shape of the Cross

True to its name, the Church of the Holy Cross is conceived around the sign of salvation: the entire worship space is planned so the congregation sits within a gigantic cross facing the crucifix, beneath a cross-shaped roof.   

 

Beginnings (1979–1980)

When Rev. Fr Nicholas Chia was appointed parish priest in August 1979, the church complex was still unfinished. Masses for Catholics in the Clementi area began at the Chapel of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary along Holland Road, and that same year the first Christmas Mass was celebrated in the unfinished church basement with just 150 in attendance. 

On 17 April 1980, Holy Cross became the first church opened and blessed during Archbishop Gregory Yong’s episcopate, marking the start of parish life in Clementi under its own roof. 

 

Growing a community of faith

In its first decade, Fr Chia organised 41 Parish Renewal Experience (PRE) sessions that rekindled faith and belonging and led to the formation of Catholic Neighbourhood Groups (CNGs).   

From 1988 to 1996, rising numbers and activities prompted expansion and renovation. Another major renewal began in 2006, including a new four-storey pastoral building, stained-glass windows depicting the Luminous Mysteries, and a translucent cross; on the parish feast day in 2008, Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia—by then the parish’s longest-serving shepherd—returned to bless the renewed church. 

Alongside the physical growth, the parish steadily deepened formation with talks, prayer sessions, retreats, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)—all to make the parish a true “school and home for communion,” where people learn to live as Church and experience a communion of faith and charity. 

 

Vision and spirituality of communion

From the outset, Holy Cross has envisioned itself as a living community modeled on Acts 2:42–47, marked by four dimensions: Kerygma (learning in Christ), Koinonia (close fellowship), Diakonia (service and sharing), and Eucharistia (praise and thanksgiving centred on the Eucharist). 

Building on the early PRE groundwork, the following decade emphasised the RENEW programme and Life in the Spirit Seminars, keeping the community Christ-centred and mindful of the Spirit’s work among parishioners. 

Under Rev. Fr Richards Ambrose, parish life was further shaped by HeART Work—artistic expressions of the spirituality of the Cross—such as the mosaic facade of the Cross and the Final Judgement, sixteen Classroom Crosses, the Cross of Reflection at the sanctuary, and the Evangelists Cross on the main hall ceiling. This period also systematized year-round faith formation with talks, prayer, and retreats, as RCIA welcomed many into the Church. 

At the Parish Assembly in October 2017, Rev. Fr Henry Siew introduced a clear vision: to be a communion of communities with intentional disciples centred on Jesus Christ, commissioned to evangelise and to serve. The parish understands itself as both School (where we learn to live as community) and Home (where we experience communion of faith and charity). 

 

Parish life today

Holy Cross strives to form intentional disciples who make time for prayer and worship, support one another through faith-sharing and intercession, and bear witness to Christ beyond the parish. Ministries and neighbourhood communities alike are called to be Christ-centred, loving, and serving—small Christian communities that evangelise in daily life. 

The priests model and foster this spirituality of communion through regular prayer, faith-sharing, pastoral dialogue, and simple table fellowship. The parish accepts that misunderstandings can arise in any family; trusting God’s healing love, members learn to receive each other’s vulnerabilities and keep walking together. 

 

Why the Cross matters here

Everything—from the building’s cross-shaped plan to the parish’s formation pathways—points to the mystery of the Cross as love poured out for the world. In this spirit, Holy Cross continues to welcome newcomers, strengthen families and neighbourhoods, and send disciples into society as joyful witnesses of the Gospel.   

Sources: Church of the Holy Cross page, History of the Catholic Church in Singapore (architecture, milestones, formation); and Parish Stories: A living community of intentional disciples by Rev. Fr Henry Siew (vision, formation pathways, spirituality of communion).