Heritage Trails :: Ang Mo Kio Trail :: Catholic Church of Christ the King

 The only Catholic Church in Ang Mo Kio, the Catholic Church of Christ the King began in the 1970s. The nearest places of worship for Catholic residents then were at Upper Thomson Road and Serangoon Gardens. The Archdiocese thus decided to build a church in the new town to cater to Catholics. The task was entrusted to Father Louis Fossion, a priest from Belgium who arrived in Singapore in 1968. Costing around $3 million, the church, officially opened on 26 September 1982, was one of the most expensive churches to be built in its time.

As the population in Ang Mo Kio grew, the congregation at Christ the King grew as well. By the 1990s, the sanctuary had become too small to accommodate the congregation. Power blackouts were common as the church did not have a power station and the roof was leaking badly. In 1996, the church decided to undertake a rebuilding programme to construct a bigger church and a columbarium. The original building was demolished in 1999 to make way for the current building.

In the church, you will also see an icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help. This icon dates back to the 1950s and was originally venerated in Novena Church till it was badly tarnished. It was then kept in a store till 1998 when it was given away to a devotee. The devotee, upon hearing about the church's rebuilding, donated the icon for display in the church. The grime and dirt on the icon was later removed by an art restorer and a new frame was installed.