The same can be said for St John’s Cathedral here, though their preparations go beyond decorating Christmas trees and hanging wreaths.
During FMT Lifestyle’s visit in mid-December, much construction and restoration work was still in progress within the church, workmen scurrying up and down the nave with tools in their hands.
With Christmas fast approaching, it appeared that one of the city’s oldest churches was rushing against time to be ready for the celebrations.
Though the present-day structure was completed in 1955, there are official records suggesting the church already existed back in the 1880s.
It is a rather impressive structure on its own, its architectural style harkening back to the age of Merdeka.
Built at the foot of Bukit Nanas, the old cathedral stands in contrast to the nearby KL Tower, whose shadow looms over the church at times.
Despite the changing city surrounding it, the cathedral still welcomes its congregation. And tending to the flock is Father Gerard Theraviam.
“It’s an exciting time to be here right now as we are approaching Christmas,” he told FMT Lifestyle. “This is the season of Advent!”
Just in time for Christmas is the cathedral’s soft opening, after months of being closed for restoration works.
In February this year, termites caused the collapse of part of the cathedral’s ceiling, damaging the altar and the surrounding area.
In addition to ceiling repairs, work was needed to rewire the cathedral and to improve its acoustic quality.
Understandably, Fr Gerard is at his busiest this month. “There’s a lot of stuff going on. Christmas is already in the air and things are happening everywhere.”
Despite the workload, he was excited that the cathedral was to be rededicated on Dec 27, the Feast of St John the Evangelist.
The historical value of the church he preaches in is not lost on him, with Gerard explaining that the church had recorded a baptism in 1883.
“How old is the church? We can’t tell,” he said, before explaining how the church first started as a simple wooden building on Bukit Nanas.
One of the cathedral’s famous features is its majestic stained-glass windows which overlook the church’s sanctuary and altar.
Imported from France, the beautifully crafted windows depict Biblical scenes, specifically St John’s journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
“One of the problems, however, is that if you hold a service at night, you can’t see anything of the windows. Without sunlight, it doesn’t shine at all! At night, all you see is a dark patch,” he joked.
He also shared a little about himself, revealing that before serving the church, he was on the path to crunching numbers.
“I was studying to be an accountant. I had finished my degree when I felt the call. It was hard to give up my personal dreams versus what God was calling me to.” In the end, the divine prevailed.
Even before he was stationed here, Fr Gerard had fond memories of St John’s, as he was ordained as a deacon here in 1993.
“This space holds a lot of memories for me as well. I have grown to love this space. There is an interesting combination of people of many nationalities coming here.”
Malaysians and foreigners come to worship here, he said, with some travelling great distances because of their emotional and spiritual connections to the church.
“Christmas is the celebration of God’s love, that he came to be among us as a human being,” he said.
The church’s near-completed restoration is thus a relief for Fr Gerard. “We are happy to be home in our own space.”
And his 2024 Christmas wish? “I hope all Malaysians will be able to work as one, to see our commonalities as children of the one God, regardless of race, colour and creed.”
Cathedral of St John the Evangelist
5, Jalan Bukit Nanas,
Kuala Lumpur