KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — To mark the 130th anniversary of its foundation stone, St Mary’s Cathedral yesterday launched its new visitors’ centre, showcasing a permanent exhibition on the church’s history.
Situated near Dataran Merdeka, the cathedral, which has been a national heritage site since May 2012, opened the centre to the public for free.
The exhibition features a timeline of key events from 1887 to 2024 and rare photographs of the church dating as far back as 130 years ago.
At the launch, the church’s dean Very Rev Andrew Cheah said: “This new space reflects our commitment to preserving our Christian heritage in multi-cultural Malaysia while welcoming and educating the community and visitors from around the world.
“We believe it will greatly enhance the visitor experience and foster a deeper connection to our Cathedral’s history and mission,” he said.
Besides Cheah, also at the launch was the Anglican church’s Bishop of the Diocese of West Malaysia Rt Rev Steven Abbarow and Think City Grants manager for the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Culture District, Sivashankari Yomarakuro.
At the same event, St Mary’s Cathedral’s 93-page booklet titled A Snapshot in History was also launched, which traces the church’s history since it was founded in 1887 until now, including details of the church’s architecture.
Think City provided financial support via a grant to St Mary’s Cathedral for restoration of its roofscape, the history exhibition or “interpretive panels” at the new visitors’ centre, publication of the booklet, and the publication of a mini brochure on the church’s brief history and its key features.
In a speech, Sivashankari said the organisation was mandated by the Finance Ministry in Budget 2024 to revitalise downtown Kuala Lumpur’s historic core into a creative, liveable, vibrant and thriving hub, including through collective partnership grants and area regeneration.
“So in 2023, Think City supported the revitalisation of St Mary's Cathedral through the Creative Kuala Lumpur Grants Programme, focusing not only on the physical restoration, but also the interpretation of the cathedral's heritage significance, documenting the history of the building and some pivotal events that have shaped its legacy,” she said.
Think City’s senior associate (urban solutions) and a member of its Creative Kuala Lumpur Grants Programme Tan Yi Jing told the media that this is the first time the organisation has been involved in a project with St Mary’s Cathedral.
She said St Mary's Cathedral's project was in line with the grants programme's theme of “space rejuvenation” which covers restoration and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, adding that the intepretive panels and booklets share stories that are worth telling and connects people with heritage.
Meanwhile, Stanley Lee Wai Jin, the project lead for the St Mary’s Visitors’ Centre and the chief editor of the booklet, told reporters that the work to produce all these and the brochure took 10 months.
He said those who come to the visitors’ centre will be able to have a copy of the brochure, while the booklet will be made available with a recommended donation of RM15 or more, the proceeds of which will go towards the maintenance of the building.
Currently, St Mary’s Cathedral is undergoing its most major restoration project for its 129-year-old main building, which is also where the 130-year-old foundation stone is located.
Yvonne Leong, an architect and member of St Mary’s Cathedral's building board, said Think City had partially funded the restoration of the church building but emphasised the need for the church community to raise additional funds to complete the roof restoration, estimated to cost at least RM500,000.
The scope of the roof repairs has expanded due to the discovery of structural damage, specifically termite infestation in the wooden trusses, making the restoration process more complex and costly.
Due to St Mary's Cathedral's national heritage status, the roof trusses must be repaired using the original construction methods from 130 years ago and the use of salvaged old timber that closely matches the Grade A Merbau wood used in the original trusses, said Leong.
The church is actively seeking reclaimed wood to carry out this historic roof truss restoration project, a first of its kind in the country.
The church is actively fundraising and seeking donations to support the completion of these essential restoration projects.
St Mary’s Cathedral’s Visitors’ Centre, Entry: Free. Mon-Sun: Open 9am-5pm; Public holidays: Closed
