Passing of Archbishop Emeritus Gregory Yong

This afternoon, the Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus Gregory Yong passed away peacefully at St Joseph’s Home, Singapore. Here’s a biography of the shepherd.

Gregory Yong Sooi Ngean (Chinese: 杨瑞元) D.D. D.C.L was the Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Singapore. From May 20, 1925 – June 28, 2008.

Born in Taiping, Malaya on May 20, 1925, he was educated at St. George’s Institution and St. Michael’s Institution in Ipoh, Malaya. In January 1941, he entered the Minor Seminary and in 1944 graduated to the Major Seminary. He was ordained in 1951 and posted to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Singapore. In 1953, he left for studies in Rome where he was conferred a Doctorate in Canon Law, the very first local priest to achieve the distinction. Back in Singapore in 1956, he was sent as assistant Parish Priest to the Church of the Sacred Heart. In the following year, he joined the teaching stuff of the Minor Seminary. After a short stint as assistant Parish Priest at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, he was appointed to a teaching position in the Major Seminary, again, the very first local priest to be thus honoured. On July 1, 1968, he was consecrated Bishop, and took over the Diocese Of Penang from Bishop Francis Chan who had died on October 27, 1967.

On February 3, 1977, he was appointed to succeed Archbishop Michel Olcomendy as the first of the local clergy to lead the Church in Singapore. On April 2, 1977, he was officially installed as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore. He was the second Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Singapore, which was formed in 1972 when the Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore split and held the office until retiring on October 14, 2000.

He died on June 28, 2008 at St Joseph’s Home, Singapore.

Let eternal rest grant unto Archbishop Emeritus Gregory Yong, O Lord,
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace,
Amen.

Goodbye, Archbishop.
3,000 people attend former Catholic Archbishop Yong’s funeral mass.

…and for those who were unable to attend the funeral mass of Archbishop Emeritus Gregory Yong, here’s some photos taken by Catholic Writer which were posted in his blog at Catholic Writings.