Church of the Holy Name of Jesus
also known as Balik Pulau Church, Penang

   




Your base for this sight is the city of Penang. For useful travel tips about Penang, visit Penang Travel Tips. To read about the tourist attractions in Penang, go through the George Town Travel Guide and Penang Travel Guide. For budget accommodation in Penang, use the Penang Budget Accommodation Map to find suitable places to spend the night.


The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus is one of the few colonial-style churches that is not within the city limits of George Town, but instead is on the other side of the island, in Balik Pulau. This Balik Pulau Church was built in 1854, making it one of the older churches in Penang. However, the beginning of this church can be traced even earlier, to 1845, when the first parish priest, Reverent Fr. Ducotey held the inaugural Eucharist at a then attap hut.



Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Balik Pulau.


I photographed this church on our AsiaExplorers Food Outing to Balik Pulau. A difficulty encountered in photographing the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus is the direction in which is faces, which makes the sun shines on it sideways. So it is difficult to get front-lighting on the church during times when there is likely to be blue skies. Another problem encountered is the many overhanging wiring cables that mar the picture.

The nave of the present church was built between 1871 and 1881 during the time of Reverend Fathers J. Lo, Kremel and Galmel, where were instrumental in founding the St George's and Sacred Heart schools in Balik Pulau.

Renovations and extensions continued to be added to the church throughout the 19th and 20th century. In 1881, Reverend Fr. Page added the sanctuary and two wings. The beautiful stained-glass windows were added by him. They were made in Belgium according to his own designs. In 1917, the bell tower was added, and a tenor bell was commissioned from the famous bell foundry of La Savoyarde in Annecy, France.

The latest round of restoration work was carried out under the supervision of Reverend Father Peter Shyu, who took over the parish in July 1999. Restoration committee was formed on Christmas 2000, and the project included repairs to cracks and broken stained-glass windows. The project was completed on March 2003, in time for the church to celebrate its 150th birthday, which it did in style, on January 2004.


Church of the Holy Name of Jesus Photo Gallery


View of the stained-glass windows.



Another view from the back portion of the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus.



View of the bell tower.


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