St. Peter's Church (Melaka)

St. Peter's Church
St. Peter's Church
Gereja St. Peter (Malay)
Location	166 Jalan Bendahara; Melaka
Country	Malaysia
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Tradition	Latin Rite
History
Dedication	Saint Peter
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Style	Colonial Dutch Baroque architecture
Completed	1710
Administration
Parish	Malacca Vicariate Forane (under Roman Catholic Diocese of Malacca-Johor)

St. Peter's Church (Malay: Gereja St. Peter) is a church in Melaka City, Melaka, Malaysia. It is the oldest functioning Roman Catholic church in Malaysia.^[1]

History

The Portuguese occupation of Melaka ended when Melaka fell to the Dutch in 1641.^[2] This was followed by period of persecutions of the Catholics in Melaka by the Dutch. Churches were destroyed and Catholics were not permitted to have their own cemeteries or even pray in their homes. Priests were also forbidden from administering their flocks. The War of the Spanish Succession resulted in an alliance formed between the Portuguese and the Dutch in 1703. This resulted in the Dutch adopting a softer stance towards the Portuguese Catholics. After years of persecutions, a piece of land was donated by a Dutch convert and St. Peter's Church was built in 1710.^[3]

Architecture

The facade and decorations of the church have a combination of eastern and western architecture. One of its bells was cast in Goa in 1608 and was salvaged from an older church the Dutch had burnt down. There is also an alabaster statue of the Lord Before the Resurrection.^[4]