[Mass at Punggol's Nativity Church]
I attended Mass at the Nativity Church in Punggol with my family this morning. It was the Feast Day and there was a food and fun fair with lots of good food. The kueh paiti was reputed to be the world's best. Someone said the laksa was almost as good as the one in Katong. My former RC Chairman Robert helped make the arrangements. I was delighted to bump into my old secretary Pauline from the RSAF and the parents of my security officer Anthony.



The Nativity Church with its elegant gothic architecture is a landmark in Ponggol where many Teochew Catholics live. They were Catholic in China before emigrating to Singapore. Without the Hougang boys and girls who became priests and nuns(including Archbishop Nicholas Chia), the Catholic Church in Singapore would face great difficulties. Father Augustine Tay gave a strong sermon during Mass about goodness coming from within us. We chatted over brunch. Fr Tay was ordained together with Father Lawrence Yeo and Father Joakim Kang in 1974, all local boys from the area. It was a special year. Fr Kang, sadly, is now in prison. I knew Fr Kang when he was the Parish Priest at Holy Trinity Church and was happy to learn that Archbishop Chia visits him occasionally.

Like the rest of Singapore, the Nativity Church is nurturing its next generation. The first and second readings and the collection for the poor were all done by schoolboys and schoolgirls. For the older folks, there is still a Teochew Mass at 4.30pm on Saturday. I think I will attend it one of these days out of nostalgia. I used to hear my mother say the rosary in Teochew but that was a long time ago.