The Franciscan Friars, also known as the Order of Friars Minor, have a rich and continuous history in Singapore over the last 65 years. On 26 August 1958, the Order entered into a contract with the Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore, which allowed the Franciscan Friars to establish their first official foundation, consisting of a friary and attached public oratory, at 8¾ Mile Old Jurong Road. The first community of friars in what is now the residential township of Bukit Batok comprised friars from America, Europe and Asia.
During the first 10 years, the friars were involved in activities such as translating the scriptures and social teachings of the Church, providing pastoral care to Catholics in Jurong-Tuas, conducting catechetical training and retreats, and serving as professors and chaplains at Nanyang University.
In 1969, the Province of the Holy Spirit in Australia agreed to accept the friary as a house of the province, and a year later the friary oratory was formally established as the church of the parish of St of St Mary of the Angels in Singapore. In the 1980s, the friars began to attract local vocations, with young men joining their ranks such as Friar Michael Goh, the first local member of the Custody to be solemnly professed, Friar John-Paul Tan, the first local member to be ordained, and Friar Arul Sagayaraj Mariadass, the first Malaysian member to be solemnly professed and ordained.
In 1991, the Custody of St Anthony of Padua (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) was formally established, assisted by friars from Australia and India who served as leaders, formators and pastors.
On 25 April 2023, the Franciscan Friars celebrated another important milestone in their development and in the history of the Order. On the feast of St Mark the Evangelist, the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) was declared an Autonomous Custody during a Special Assembly. The declaration of autonomy by the Minister General of the Order, Friar Massimo Fusarelli, was a moment of great joy and pride for all the members of the Custody.
This declaration of autonomy followed a process of careful study by the General Government of the Order, consultation with and documentation by local friars and Provincial leadership, and the recommendation of the leaders of the Franciscan Friars in the region of South and Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania.
For more than three decades the Custody has focused on formation, pastoral ministry, missionary commitment and expansion into Sarawak, Johor, Penang and Sabah. The growing number of friars living and transmitting the Franciscan charism, together with the active commitment to formation and evangelisation, provided the basis for the autonomy of the Custody. By the mid-2000s, the leadership was made up entirely of local friars, and the leadership and financial sustainability of the Custody also played a decisive role in its recognition as an autonomous entity.
I am truly grateful to have been able to be present at this significant moment in the history of our Custody, both in my official capacity as Definitor General for Asia-Oceania and as a member of this Custody. As a member of the Custody who serves in the international leadership of the Franciscan Order, I have a dream that this Custody will continue to grow and broaden its focus. My hope is that the friars will continue to be radical in their witness to the Gospel, unafraid to proclaim the Good News in ways that are meaningful and relevant to all people.
The Franciscan tradition has always been about living the Gospel in a practical way, with a focus on fraternity and minority. This means reaching out to those who are suffering and have not yet encountered the Gospel as Good News in traditional ministries and in new. The Custody could extend its presence into the digital realm, including online platforms and the metaverse. It could also share the rich heritage of Franciscan spirituality through prayer communities and hermitages.
The Custody would benefit from engaging in dynamic partnerships with non-governmental organisations, as well as ecumenical and inter-religious organisations, in order to uphold shared values and work towards common goals. These partnerships can be a powerful means of caring for our common home, upholding the dignity of human persons, and building up the wider Kingdom of God. Finally, the Franciscan intellectual tradition is another important aspect of the Custody’s heritage which should be developed and shared more widely.
With a strong commitment to the Gospel and a willingness to reach out to all people, the friars of the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) can make a real difference to the lives of those around them. This Custody has the potential to be a beacon of hope and witness to the Gospel of Christ, not only in Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei, but throughout the world.
Friar John Wong OFM
Definitor General for Asia-Oceania
A recording of the Thanksgiving Mass can be found in the Custody’s YouTube channel – FranciscanFriarsMySg.
The OFM Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) officially became an autonomous custody on April 25. This was declared by Friar Massimo Fusarelli OFM, the 121st successor of St Francis of Assisi and Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM).
Prior to this, the Custody of St Anthony was under the Province of the Holy Spirit (Australia-New Zealand). The Minister General also named the new administration with Friar Derrick Yap as Custos, Friar Michael D’Cruz as Vicar, Friars Vernon Chua, David Au, Esmond Chua and Aiden Peter as Councillors.
The OFM Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) has 36 solemnly professed friars, including 18 Malaysians, 16 Singaporeans, one Sri Lankan, and one Filipino. There are eight friars-in-formation, including five Malaysians and three Singaporeans.
The friars have also been given charge of four parishes: the Church of St Ann in Kuching, Church of St Joseph in Johor, Church of the Risen Christ in Penang and Church of St Mary of the Angels in Singapore.
In his speech during the pronouncement, Friar Massimo Fusarelli exhorted the friars to “be the face of an Order and Church that speaks to the people of God in a way that is deeply Singapore, authentically Malaysia, and, as we say, truly Asia.”
The friars in Singapore-Malaysia expressed their gratitude to the Australian Friars of the Province of the Holy Spirit who were represented by the current and past Provincial Ministers and the Provincial Secretary. There was also a moment of silence to remember the friars who had gone before them.
That evening, the Minister General celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass at the Church of St Mary of the Angels. Fellow religious, parishioners, benefactors, and friends participated in the joyous occasion. During the Mass, Friar Nelson Evarinus from Sabah was admitted to the Ministry of Acolyte, and all the solemnly professed friars recommitted themselves to the Franciscan Gospel way of life, dedicating themselves to becoming contemplative fraternities in mission.
The Custody launched a fund called St Anthony’s Touch, as a commitment to helping the poor and marginalised, and supporting mission and evangelisation efforts. During the launch, a cheque of RM50,000 was presented to Friar Don Don Ramerez, rector of St Ann’s Church (Kuching), to support the parish’s mission efforts in building houses for poor families in the villages under their pastoral care.
At the end of the Mass, Friar Massimo presented a gift to Friar Derrick – a first-class relic of Blessed Gabriele Allegra. Blessed Allegra is considered to be the initiator of the Franciscan presence in Singapore; it was he who requested the Vatican to set up a sociological institute in Singapore to offer an alternative to Communist ideas which were gaining ground in the 1950s. Blessed Allegra, better known among Chinese-speaking Catholics as Lei Yong Ming, is lauded for his work of translation of the entire Bible into Chinese with a team of fellow Franciscan friars.
The next day, the Minister General departed for Kota Kinabalu, Sabah where the friars had just established their latest presence in Malaysia. Here, Friar Massimo enjoyed a lively dialogue with the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and 80 representatives of the Secular Franciscan Order, a fraction of a thriving community numbering 589 members currently in Sabah. The Minister General also paid a courtesy call to Archbishop John Wong of Kota Kinabalu, discussing current ministries of the friars and future possibilities of closer collaboration with the Archdiocese.
History of the Order of Friars Minor in the region On March 28, 1957, Friar Vergil Mannion OFM arrived in Singapore by disembarking from the Peleus ship onto its soil. A group of Franciscan friars from Italy, America, and Hong Kong was brought to Singapore in 1957 to establish a sociological institute for outreach, research, and publications to counter communism after a dialogue between Rome, local Church leaders, and Franciscans.
On August 26, 1958, Archbishop Michael Olçomendy of Malacca-Singapore officially declared the presence and ministry of the Order of Friars Minor. Subsequently, the Vatican decreed the canonical establishment of this new community.
In May 1991, the Franciscan Custody of St Anthony in Malaysia- Singapore-Brunei, dependent on the Australian Province of the Holy Spirit, was officially constituted.
On the afternoon of Thursday 27 April, the Minister General Br Massimo Fusarelli, Definitor General for Asia-Oceania and President of the Order’s General Commission for Service for Dialogue Br John Wong, and Custos for Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Br Derrick Yap visited the Harmony Centre at An-Nadhah Mosque in Singapore as part of the Order’s engagement in the Service for Christian-Muslim Dialogue, in the ongoing spirit of Damietta.
The visit was organised by Custody Secretary BrAiden Peter and the group of friars were very warmly and graciously welcomed by Ustazah (“religious teacher”) Liyana Rosli Asmara, the Director of the Harmony Centre. In September 2019, Ustazah Liyana had participated in an interreligious pilgrimage of 22 young Singaporean and Malaysian adults together with Br Aiden and Br John to Istanbul, Cairo, Mount Sinai, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem, as a special commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of the encounter between St Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik Al-Kamil.
The Harmony Centre promotes the learning journey, engages in research, organises initiatives of respectful encounter and deep dialogue, and publishes materials to help build a more peaceful world. During the meeting, the Minister General and Director of the Harmony Centre shared on some common concerns, including the challenges of being persons of faith in societies that are secularised, pastoral care concerns, and how religious leaders can communicate with the youth in a relevant way in places that are now post-religious.
In addition, Br Derrick and Br John spoke with Ustazah Liyana about some possibilities for upcoming concrete collaborative initiatives in the service of dialogue.
Br John Wong Definitor General for Asia-Oceania and President of the Order’s General Commission for Service for Dialogue
The friars of the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) share their dreams and hope for the Custody in conjunction of the Declaration of Autonomy and in thanksgiving for the gift of vocation.
Is God calling you to be a Franciscan Friar? Make the first step by dropping an email to vocations.ofms@gmail.com
In conjunction with the declaration of the Autonomous Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei), The Genesis Special Edition 2023 commemorates many friars of different background and origin who have laid the foundation in Singapore and making the dream come true for the locals in Singapore and Malaysia.
Our deepest gratitude and appreciation to all friars and friends who have been part of the formation of the Custody.
On Tuesday 25 April, the Franciscan Friars celebrate Mass at 6pm in the Church of St Mary of the Angels in Singapore in thanksgiving for the inauguration of the autonomous Custody of St Anthony.
They also offer Thanksgiving for: 1) Admission into the Ministry of Acolyte (Friar Nelson Evarinus) 2) Recommitment of Vows for the Solemnly Professed Friars 3) Launch of “St Anthony’s Touch” Mission Fund
