Singapore’s St Gregory Choir Members Recalls Jubilee Pilgrimage to Kuching as time of worship and bonding

As part of the Jubilee Year celebrations, members of the St Gregory Choir from Singapore’s Cathedral of the Good Shepherd undertook a pilgrimage to the archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, in October last year, combining prayer, worship, cultural immersion, and fraternity.

The 20-member choir, which regularly serves the Sunday 6:00 p.m. Mass at the cathedral in Singapore, described the four-day pilgrimage as a deeply enriching spiritual journey. As the Jubilee Year drew to a close, choristers fondly recalled the experience as “a beautiful time of prayer, play, and work.”

“We filled each day with prayer and worship, bonded over food and fellowship, and enjoyed the city’s rich cultural heritage,” the group shared.

Pilgrimage of Prayer and Song

The pilgrimage began with an early-morning climb of Mount Singai in Bau, where the choir made the Stations of the Cross at the Catholic Memorial Pilgrimage Centre. At the summit chapel, they chanted the Divine Office and celebrated Mass with Salesian priest Fr. Delphin Ndungu, SDB, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who is attached to the Church of the Holy Trinity.

On the following day, the choir visited the Sarawak Cultural Village, toured the Archdiocesan History Gallery, and spent time at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching. There, they sang at the First Friday Mass celebrated by Archbishop Simon Poh of Kuching.

At the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration, the St Gregory Choir presented Archbishop Poh with a significant Jubilee Year relic: an original Holy Door brick from the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the mother church of the Catholic world.

“The brick is inscribed with the name of Pope Francis and bears the symbol of the papacy,” explained the choir’s music director, Alphonsus Chern. “It was used to seal the Holy Door of the Lateran Basilica between Jubilee Years. This relic represents a tangible connection between our mother church in Rome and the Church in Kuching, and we offer it as a sign of friendship and communion.”

Fellowship with the Church in Padungan

On Saturday, the penultimate day of the pilgrimage, choir members were given a guided tour of the neo-Gothic St. Peter’s Church in Padungan by parish rector Fr. Vincent Chin. The St Gregory Choir then joined the parish’s Sunset Mass choir, conducted by Mr. Stephen Chin, to sing at the evening Eucharistic celebration.

During Communion, the choir rendered two motets: Ave Verum Corpus, composed by Mr. Chern in honour of the Real Presence of Christ, and Tu es Petrus by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, whose 500th birth anniversary was commemorated last year.

As the priest and servers processed down the nave at the conclusion of Mass, both choirs and the congregation joined in a jubilant rendition of the Jubilee Hymn, Pilgrims of Hope.

Following the Mass, the St Gregory Choir presented Fr. Chin with a gold reliquary bearing the papal symbols of the triple tiara and crossed keys, intended to house a relic of Saint Peter for use during parish processions.

Reflecting on the occasion, Fr. Chin said he “really felt the congregation participate most actively in singing during the Mass.”

Choirmaster Mr. Chin echoed the words of St. Augustine, saying, “To sing well is to pray twice. We hope the beautiful voices of the St Gregory Choir, combined with our St Peter’s Sunset Mass Choir, will inspire more of our faithful to come forward and share their talents in praising the Lord.”

The evening concluded with a shared Chinese dinner, where both choirs continued their fellowship in song, ending with a heartfelt rendition of Malaysia’s national anthem, Negaraku.

A Fruitful Journey of Faith

Founded in 2016, this pilgrimage marked the St Gregory Choir’s first overseas journey. Members described it as a fruitful blend of prayer, community, and sacred music, strengthening bonds both within the choir and with the local Church in Kuching.

As the choir looks ahead, members expressed hope for another pilgrimage next year, when the group celebrates its 10th anniversary, continuing its mission of serving the liturgy through music and faith-filled fellowship.