A History of Immigrant Roman Catholics and Converts in Early Singapore 1832-1945

The island of Singapore has long thrived on the fusion of trade and culture, and this history goes back at least 700 years; a tradition which continues into Singapore's immediate past.

Beginning in 1832, this story is about the meeting of different cultures, who are united under a newfound faith. While most other communities at this time were bound by some degree of clan, racial affiliation or language, the Roman Catholic community was different. From its early days, it was an amalgam of people from different backgrounds. It is possible that divisions did exist, but there were also more opportunities to overcome them than previously recognised. In effect, this community predates modern concepts of multicultural and multiracial Singapore by at least a century.