圣方济各堂
Church of
St Francis Xavier

历史起源与建立 

本堂座落于槟城路（Penang Road），其历史可追溯至 1857年。当时，由于岛内及威省（Province Wellesley）地区的印度裔天主教徒人数激增，时任教区主教布绍主教（Bishop Boucho）决定成立一个专门服务该群体的堂区。最初，堂区教友聚集在槟城路天主教坟场附近的一座小圣堂内。

开山神父与早期建设 

本堂首任主任司铎是来自巴黎外方传教会（MEP）夏保神父（Fr. Francois Hab）。1867年，夏保神父在现址兴建了第一座教堂、一所淡米尔文学校及神父楼。夏保神父于1890年逝世后，遗体被安葬在本堂内。

教育与社会福利 

本堂在社会关怀方面历史悠久，夏保神父于 1865年 创办了圣若瑟孤儿院（现称圣若瑟之家/St. Joseph's Home），最初收容了20名孤儿。

现代建筑与堂区行政 

随着教友人数在1935年增至约4000人，教堂急需扩建。在英国 Grumitt 家族的资助下，现有的教堂建筑于 1952年 正式落成。1988年，由于乔治市教友人口外迁，本堂与圣母升天堂、痛苦之母堂及圣若望伯理多堂合并，组成了城市堂区（City Parish）。目前，本堂作为城市堂区的一部分，由温耀仁神父（Fr. Edmund Woon）担任主任司铎（Parish Priest）

[English Version]

Historical Foundations 

Established in 1857, the Church of St. Francis Xavier on Penang Road was founded by Bishop Boucho to serve the growing Indian Catholic community on Penang Island and the mainland in Province Wellesley. The community initially gathered at a small chapel near the Catholic cemetery.

Pioneer Priest and Early Construction 

The first Parish Priest was Fr. Francois Hab, MEP, a missionary from the Paris Foreign Missions Society. In 1867, he constructed the original church on the present site, along with a Tamil school and a presbytery. Fr. Hab passed away in 1890 and was laid to rest within the church.

Education and Social Welfare 

A pillar of social service, the church saw the founding of St. Joseph's Orphanage (now St. Joseph's Home) by Fr. Hab in 1865, initially caring for 20 orphan boys.

Modern Development and Administration 

By 1935, the congregation grew to 4,000, necessitating a larger building. The present church was completed in 1952, funded by the Grumitt family from England. In 1988, it was merged with three other George Town churches to form the City Parish. Today, the church remains an integral part of the City Parish under the leadership of the current Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Edmund Woon