Reverend Father
The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...
Jean-Marie Beurel (5 February 1813 - 3 October 1872) was a
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Catholic priest and missionary who founded the
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the
St Joseph’s Institution and the
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus girls' schools in Singapore.
History
Jean-Marie Beurel was born on 5 February 1813 at
Plouguenast
Plouguenast (; br, Plougonwaz; Gallo: ''Ploegenas'') is a former commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Plouguenast-Langast.Lower Brittany
Lower Brittany ( br, Breizh-Izel; french: Basse-Bretagne) denotes the parts of Brittany west of Ploërmel, where the Breton language has been traditionally spoken, and where the culture associated with this language is most prolific. The name is ...
, France. He joined the
Missions Étrangères de Paris
The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (french: Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris, short M.E.P.) is a Roman Catholic missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular priests and lay persons de ...
as a deacon on 23 August 1838 and was assigned to the Mission of
Siam. At the age of 26, he left France on 16 March 1839 and would arrived
Singapore on 29 October 1839.
Father Beurel had come as a
parish priest for the
Roman Catholic chapel on Bras Basah Road. When Bishop Jean-Paul-Hilaire-Michel Courvezy talked of extending the chapel because it was getting too small, Father Beurel suggested that a church be built elsewhere so that the current site could be used for a school for boys.
Fund-raising for the cathedral began in 1840. Faced with a shortage of funds, Beurel travelled as far as
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and the
Philippines to seek help. Contributions were received 4,000
francs from Queen
Marie-Amelie Therese of France, 3,000
Spanish dollars from the Archbishop of
Manila and the
Protestant community in Singapore.
Of the two
architectural
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...
plans submitted, the chosen design was by
Denis McSwiney
Denis Lesley McSwiney came to Singapore in 1828 and was responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. Having been a merchant and contractor, he was at one time a clerk to George Drumgoole Coleman. Leaving Singapore in 184 ...
, a former clerk to
George Drumgoole Coleman. The foundation stone was laid on 18 June 1843 by John Conolly, a merchant resident of Singapore.
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd was completed at the cost of 18,355.22
Spanish dollars, and was consecrated by Father Beurel on 6 June 1847, before a crowd of more than 1,500 people.
In 1848, Father Beurel asked the
Straits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Comp ...
government for land to build a school, but was refused. He left Singapore on 28 October 1850 for France. While he was in France, Father Beurel approached the
Reverend Mother
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...
Saint François de Sales de Faudoas, the 14th Superior General of the
Infant Jesus Sisters
The Sisters of the Infant Jesus, also known as the Dames of Saint Maur, are a religious institute of the Catholic Church originating from Paris, France and dedicated to teaching.
History
Origins
In 1659 Barré, who was a respected scholar wit ...
, to enlist some sisters in starting a school for girls. He returned to Singapore on 29 March 1852 with six Brothers from the
Brothers of the Christian Schools
french: Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes
, image = Signum Fidei.jpg
, image_size = 175px
, caption =
, abbreviation = FSC
, nickname = Lasallians
, named_after =
, formation ...
and two Infant Jesus Sisters.
In May 1852, Father Beurel and the Brothers founded
Saint Joseph's Institution
St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) is an independent Catholic educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1852 by the De La Salle Brothers, it is the first Catholic school and the third oldest school in the country.
SJI has been offering a dual- ...
in the
former chapel.
In July 1852, he asked the Straits Settlements Government once again for land next to the church for a charitable institution for girls. When he was told that there was already sufficient land given to the church, he bought a
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
in
Victoria Street with his own money of 4,000
francs that
George Drumgoole Coleman had built for H. C. Caldwell, Senior Sworn Clerk who later became Registrar of the Court. With the help of Mother
Mathilde Raclot
Reverend Mother Saint Mathilde Raclot (born Marie-Justine Raclot; 9 February 1814 – 20 January 1911) was a 19th-century French people, French Catholic nun and missionary from the Sisters of the Infant Jesus who traveled to different countries in ...
and her fellow Sisters,
Town Convent, the first
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in Singapore, was opened in February 1854. To further the expansion of the Town Convent, Father Beurel had acquired all the nine lots of land that would constitute the entire Convent complex.
In 1859, Father Beurel had completed the
parochial house next to the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.
In 1868, he returned to France on account of illness. Father Beurel died in Paris, France, on 3 October 1872 at the age of 59 and was buried in the
Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery (french: link=no, Cimetière du Montparnasse) is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, in the city's 14th arrondissement. The cemetery is roughly 47 acres and is the second largest cemetery in Paris. The cemetery ...
.
At the
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is a memorial plaque to Father Beurel.
See also
*
Cathedral of the Good Shepherd
*
Saint Joseph's Institution
St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) is an independent Catholic educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1852 by the De La Salle Brothers, it is the first Catholic school and the third oldest school in the country.
SJI has been offering a dual- ...
*
Former Saint Joseph's Institution
*
CHIJMES
References
*Eugene Wijeysingha (2006), ''Going Forth... - The Catholic Church in Singapore 1819-2004'', Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore,
*Sathisan, Dinesh. (2009). ''Father Jean-Marie Beurel''. Retrieved 2009 20, 2009, fro
Father Jean-Marie Beurel , Infopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beurel, Jean-Marie
1813 births
1872 deaths
19th-century French Roman Catholic priests
Singaporean religious leaders