The Portuguese Church, as the Church of St. Joseph’s at Victoria Street is referred to, is where the religious traditions of the Portuguese Eurasian community in Singapore are kept alive. It is every year on Good Friday, a day of fasting, reflection and prayer, that we see the most colourful manifestation of these traditions, in an elaborate service which culminates in procession illuminated by the light of candles carried by the sea of worshippers that crowd the church’s compound.
The sea of candlelight every Good Friday at the Portuguese Church.
The procession, would in the past, attract worshippers in their thousands, some of whom would crowd the compound just to see the procession pass. Worshippers would also spill out to Queen Street and in more recent times to the lower floors of the podium at Waterloo Centre. It was at Queen Street where many candle vendors would be seen to do a roaring trade, offering candles of all sizes. I remember seeing some on sale that were of such a length that they needed to be propped up by pieces of wood, which we no longer see these days.
The head of the procession with a bier containing a life-sized representation of the body of Christ makes its way through the grounds of the church.
Worshippers carrying candles follow the procession.
While the candle vendors have been chased off the streets, the procession, even with the smaller crowds we see today, still adds much life and colour to the area. In keeping the traditions of a small and rarely mentioned community in Singapore alive, the procession also reminds us that what colours Singapore is not just the influences of the main ethnic groups but also of the smaller groups that have added to the flavour of Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.
Another view of the procession through the grounds.
A face seen in the clouds as the crowds gathered for the procession.
More on the procession and the Portuguese Church:
Filed under: Bras Basah, Devotion, Events, Heritage Sites, National Mounments, Photography, Photography Series, Reminders of Yesterday, Singapore, Traditions 
