Priest stabbed during mass in St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah; suspect arrested

SINGAPORE – A priest was stabbed by a knife-wielding man while he was conducting evening mass at St Joseph’s Church in Upper Bukit Timah on Nov 9.

The assailant, a 37-year-old Singaporean man, was disarmed by members of the congregation and subsequently arrested by police officers, said the police in a statement.

He is believed to have acted alone based on preliminary investigations, and police said they do not suspect that the attack was an act of terrorism, for now.

The man has past offences involving serious hurt and misuse of drugs, the police added, urging the public to remain calm and not speculate as investigations are ongoing to establish the motive behind the incident.

He is a Sinhalese who had earlier declared to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority that he is a Christian, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam in

a Facebook post.

The 57-year-old priest, identified by the Catholic Church in Singapore as Reverend Christopher Lee, was conscious when taken to the National University Hospital. He is in stable condition.

Police said the attacker will be charged in court on Nov 11 with voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force and police received calls for help at about 6.30pm.

A parishioner who asked to be known only as Ms Lee told The Straits Times that she was attending the 5.30pm mass, and the priest was stabbed some time between 6.15pm and 6.20pm while Holy Communion was being given out.

She said she did not have a clear view of what was happening as she was seated in the last few rows of the church, but pieced together what happened after asking others around her.

The attacker was seated among the parishioners during the service, Ms Lee said.

As he approached the priest to receive communion, he took out a foldable knife and stabbed the priest, who then fell backwards.

Police said the man

had four other weapons in his possession.

There is currently no evidence to suggest that this was a religiously-motivated attack, police added.

The stabbing took place during the monthly children’s mass. Many children were sitting near the front when the attack happened, and they started screaming and crying, sources said.

Members of the congregation, including the Archdiocesan Emergency Response team, helped subdue the assailant, said the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore in a statement.

Formed in 2016, the team is made up of volunteers who serve as first responders in emergencies.

In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said violence has no place in Singapore.

“Most of all, we must uphold the safety and sanctity of our places of worship – places where people seek peace, solace, and community,” he added.

“In this case, it was fortunate that several members of the congregation helped to disarm the assailant before he could do more harm. Many parishioners were badly shaken by what happened, and I hope they heal from this traumatic event.”

When The Straits Times arrived at the church in Upper Bukit Timah Road at about 7.45pm, five police cars were seen in the church compound, and about 10 police officers were inside the church.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said he was shocked by the incident.

“Such violence, of any form and for any reason, has absolutely no place in Singapore, let alone at a place of worship. The relevant authorities will investigate this incident and address it appropriately,” he added in his Facebook post.

Archbishop William Goh, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Singapore, said in a Facebook post that he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the attack.

“I am also very concerned about the psychological impact this incident may have had on our children and all who witnessed this attack,” he added.

He called for people to remain calm and not speculate on the incident or pass judgment without knowing all the facts.

“We must allow the authorities to investigate the matter,” he said.

In a statement,

the Inter-Religious Organisation condemned the attack

“within a sacred space where individuals were gathered in religious service”.

Various religious groups also issued statements on Facebook to express solidarity with the Catholic community and stress that acts of violence in a place of worship cannot be tolerated.

Ms Lee told ST that after the attack, congregants were asked not to leave the church until the ambulance left, so as not to block its route. After the service ended, they stayed on to pray for the priest’s speedy recovery.

The police spoke to parishioners seated in the same row as the attacker, who had reportedly left his bag behind.

“I was very shocked... I was shaking and was very scared,” Ms Lee said.

St Joseph’s Church said in a Facebook post that masses and events will proceed as normal on Nov 10.

Speaking to the media at around 1am on Nov 10 at the Jurong Police Division Headquarters, deputy commander of Jurong Police Division Bertran Chia commended two members of the public for their bravery in disarming and detaining the man.

Mr Richard Tan Chai Boon and Mr Damien Liew Khee Rui were given the Public Spiritedness Award.