Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia's wake & funeral mass to be held from Dec. 18 to 21, 2024

The wake and funeral mass of Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia will be held from Dec. 18 to 21, 2024.

According to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore's website, a four-day wake, including several Masses, will be conducted at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at "A" Queen Street.

Chia, 86, died at St Theresa's Home on the evening of Dec. 17.

He was said to be "critically ill".

Wake and funeral details

According to the website, wake or visiting hours will start at 3pm to 7pm and 9pm to 11pm on Dec. 18.

Visiting hours for Dec. 19 and 20 will also be separated into three timings: 7am to 12pm, 2pm to 7pm and 9pm to 11pm.

On Dec. 21, visiting hours will be limited, starting from 7am and ending at 12pm.

There will also be several Masses and prayers conducted in between the visiting hours.

A ⁠⁠Requiem Mass will be livestreamed on the CatholicSG YouTube channel at 2pm on Dec. 21.

Chia will then be cremated at the Mandai Crematorium (Hall 10) at 5pm.

Tributes pour from PM Wong and SM Lee

Chia's passing has drawn tributes from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In a Facebook post on Dec. 17, PM Wong expressed his sadness on Chia's passing and extended his condolences to the Catholic community.

He described Chia as a "devoted shepherd and steadfast pillar of the Catholic community" and that his "unwavering faith, humility, and compassion enriched many lives".

He described Chia as someone who was able to advance the views of the Catholic church and community while being "balanced" and "responsible" towards national issues.

He added that Chia did a lot to "foster interfaith dialogue, guiding his flock to be good Catholics living in peace and harmony with the other faiths".

Ending his post by expressing gratitude for Chia's service, SM Lee said that he "will be remembered for this unwavering faith, humility and love for his people".