在万礼有一条路，是以一位华人天主教神父命名。他不但是一位伟大的好牧人，也是新加坡殖民地时代，最激励人心的英雄之一。这条路以李斯德望神父命名是为了表扬他在1920年代协助从汕头来到万礼移居的潮洲难民，并在万礼发展出一个天主教村庄。政府将这条从万礼到惹兰乌鲁三巴旺，长而曲折的道路命名为李斯德望路（史蒂芬李路）。
李神父的第一项重任是在1928年。当时，他担任圣伯多禄圣保禄堂的本堂神父，负责照顾华人天主教社群。当 E J Mariette 蒙席在视察圣德肋撒堂的建筑工程时，不幸被掉下的木板击中而去世。就这样，李神父也继承了负责监督为福建籍天主教徒兴建的圣德肋撒堂。新圣堂在1927年开始兴建，以圣女婴孩耶稣德肋撒（St. Therese of the Child Jesus）（小花）命名。教宗比约十一世也在同一年宣布圣女为所有外方传教主保。
圣堂的建筑竣工和村落的形成
圣德肋撒堂最终于1929年建成，却没有本堂神父，直到1935年李斯德望神父被委任为本堂神父。这间雄伟的圣堂从竣工直到1935年都相当沉寂。这是因为当时的甘榜巴鲁是个被视为“荒凉”的地方，而且在修船厂工作的少数印度籍天主教徒散工，也无法成为圣德肋撒堂的稳定社群。虽然这间圣堂原为福建籍天主教徒而兴建，但当时他们大多数定居在东海岸一带，居住的地方离圣堂太远了。因此，有必要在圣德肋撒堂周围创建一个天主教社群。
为了让堂区蓬勃起来，李斯德望神父提出在圣堂附近建立一个天主教村落。既然当时来到新加坡的加尔默罗会修女们也需要一所修道院，李斯德望神父很自然地再次开始建设。因此，在1934年，6.75英亩的土地被收购了，这片土地大部分曾是旧的私人墓地。土地开发于1936年开始，而建造加尔默罗修道院，即六间洋房和十间营房的计划，到了1937年也确定了，这些都在1938年完成。洋房皆以“小花”命名，例如 Teresa Point，Teresa Gap, Teresa Ghaut, Teresa Holt, Teresa Kiosk。之后，在李神父的建议下，主教于1938年，在武吉德肋撒兴建了耶稣君王加尔默罗修道院。就这样，第一个默观修会就在新加坡开始了他们的神圣工作。李神父就成为他们的神师。
战争来了
1941年12月8日，战争在新加坡爆发了。当天凌晨4时15分，第一批炸弹落在拉丁马士、石叻路、北干拿路和合乐路。与此同时，日军也从马来亚北部开始，由陆路入侵新加坡。战争使许多从马来半岛来的人滞留在新加坡。当中也有从北方为逃离战场而来的人，他们有些人躲避到甘榜巴鲁。可是，战争也来到了“小花”。1942年1月9日，武吉德肋撒首次被轰炸。加尔默罗修道院的石棉天花板也随着爆炸的震动而脱落。
尽管岛上正面临从长堤而来的侵略，处于生死战斗中，但是在被占领的黑暗日子到来前，还急需完成一些天主的工作。圣德肋撒的首位“儿子”黄金狮神父（Fr Louis Wee）于1942年1月18日在榜鹅圣方济萨威修院晋铎。他在晋铎后，立刻被派遣到圣德肋撒堂，协助李斯德望神父，直到1942年5月10日。
1942年2月3日，邻接神父楼的厨房被轰炸。隔天，英军占用了武吉德肋撒，并把它改成防空基地。圣堂场地受到严重的轰炸，而且在2月13日，四枚炸弹更破坏了圣堂的屋顶、厨房前方（造成这座建筑物的屋顶瓦片全毁）、圣堂前方和通往圣堂的道路。日以继夜，炮轰连绵不断。新加坡最终在2月15日向日军投降。
2月10日，在一位日本军官的巡视后，学校、圣堂、神父楼以及住宿小屋（圣堂旁边的水手宿舍）获得一封豁免军事检查和占领的信。尽管得此豁免，圣器室还是在两天后遭到两位日军的检查。李斯德望神父就是在这里差点儿被刺伤，而黄金狮神父则意想不到地被掴了一巴掌。这事件使李神父大为震惊，造成他精神崩溃，必须隐退到主教府休息。黄神父就接替了他的职务。但是这经历并未削弱李神父的热忱，即使是在休息期间，他还是着手监督在沙琳路修建的嘉诺撒修院，并完成修院增建的紧急部份。他从1942年3月8日至5月10日一直忙于此工程，过后才回到圣德肋撒堂。黄神父则被派遣到圣伯多禄圣保禄堂服务。
在武吉德肋撒的天主教村落也未能幸免被轰炸的命运。住宿小屋变成了避难所，收容那些房子被毁、失去家人和无处可去的人。当日军四处搜索女人时，住宿小屋也成了她们的避风港。圣德肋撒中英文学校当时也被辟为避难所，收留无家可归的人，当中有好些来自马六甲。
和平的到来
1 9 4 5年8 月1 1日，紧急警报响起，谣传战争即将结束。这正是原子弹投在广岛和长崎的时候。8月20日，昭南新闻 (Syonan Shimbun) 证实，日本确实向盟军无条件地投降。所有待在新加坡的人都迫切地等待英军回来。当盟军开始在港口登陆时，在武吉德肋撒的圣德肋撒堂教友，都出来迎接他们的解放者。李斯德望神父甚至让一些人到钟楼看士兵们的到来。圣堂的钟声也响起，以示欢迎。终于解放了！
1945年9月9日，李斯德望神父在日本占领结束后作第一次的讲道，因为在日本占领期间讲道是被禁止的。他在讲道时，情绪激动，充满了对全能天主的感激之情，却没有对日军存有怀恨之心，虽然他自己在他们手中深受其害，导致他精神崩溃。最鼓舞人心的是，他激动地叫大家站起来唱“天主救助国王”。他还指示敲响圣堂的五个钟，声音越响亮越好，把欢乐的钟声传遍甘榜巴鲁四周。
第二天，李神父为那些在战争中遇难和所有被日军屠杀的人们，献上一台炼灵弥撒。隔天他也举行了感恩弥撒。此外，也举办了一个特为那些被安置在丹戎巴葛的饥饿战俘的 “历史性猪肉聚会”。
在1945年9月16日的圣堂聚会，李斯德望神父为那些挨饿的堂区教友发出另一项请求。当他呼吁英国军队给他们香烟和巧克力时，也同样获得巨大的回响，由HMS Duntroon运兵船的司令，Lloy船长带头慷慨捐赠。
战争不但震撼了人心，土地和房屋也被震得支离破碎，情况严重。战后就是收拾残局的时候了。重建圣德肋撒堂的重任再次落在李斯德望神父的肩上。李神父以其一贯的方式，想尽各种途径，确保能有足够的资金重建被战争蹂躏的圣堂。圣堂和沿着武吉德肋撒路的所有房子都被日本的炸弹破坏了。新币 101,500 元的索赔款项在1947年4月7日呈递给战争损坏委员会。然而，四年后，委员会只支付新币350元作为初期付款。直到1952年10月30日，委员会评估损坏的数额为新币 53,055 元，但结果也只支付一半的钱。这些钱就用来修复圣堂。
1948年5月21日，Francis Spellman枢机和Fulton Sheen蒙席在其远东之旅期间到访圣德肋撒堂。他们视察了圣堂被炸弹破坏的痕迹，Sheen蒙席过后说道：“我知道这间圣堂被炸弹击中。可看到的唯一证据是存留在十四处苦路中其中一处的弹片痕迹，很适当的保留着，就好象圣勿落尼加的面纱在苦路像上。在某种程度上，它标志着基督自己痛苦的延续。尽管面对所有的破坏，这个堂区的教友都团结起来支持他们非常杰出的神父，而且更新了他们的宏伟建筑。”
李斯德望神父的确是圣德肋撒堂史册中一块非常重要的砖石。1956年2月16日，李神父在圣德肋撒堂庆祝了他的晋铎银庆。许多其他堂区的教友也出席了他的晋铎银庆弥撒，为他对新加坡教会的巨大贡献作证。
1956年11月19日晚上，李斯德望神父，“一年四季无休息的男人”被主蒙召，享年60岁。
作者：Clement Liew／译者：杨奕基
Fr Stephen Lee
Remembering Our Forgotten Hero of St Teresa’s
Clement Liew Wei Chiang
All rights reserved:No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means Electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner．
Not so many years ago, there existed a road somewhere in Mandai that bore the name of a Chinese Catholic priest who was not only a great shepherd to his flock but one of the most inspiring heroes of the Singapore Catholic Church in colonial days. The road was named after Fr Stephen Lee in recognition of his role in helping Teochew refugees from Swatow settle at Mandai in the 1920s where a Catholic village arose. The government named the long winding road to from Mandai to Jalan Ulu Sembawang, Stephen Lee Road.
Fr Stephen was first thrust into great responsibility when Mgr. E J Mariette died in 1928 after a plank fell on his head while he was inspecting the construction of St Teresa’s Church. Fr Stephen not only assumed the duties of Parish Priest of Sts Peter and Paul, which made him responsibile for the Chinese Catholic community, he also inherited the task of seeing to the completion of St Teresa’s Church for the Hokkien Catholics. The new church, which started construction in earnest in 1927, was named after St Teresa of the Child Jesus (Little Flower) who in the same year (1927), was declared by Pope Pius XI as Patroness of all foreign missions.
Background
Fr Stephen Lee, born Lee Teck Boon, in 1896, was a native of Tanjong Kling, Malacca. His parents, Anthony Lee Ah Tim and Cecilia Yap, had a large “tribe” comprising of eight boys and four girls, of whom Teck Boon was the eldest. Lee Teck Boon was christened “Stephen” at the Church of St Francis Xavier, Malacca. After he received his formal education at St Francis Institution in Malacca, he left for Penang to enter the seminary there. He spent a year at Balik Pulau learning Latin before going on to College General Major Seminary in Pulau Tikos. And on completion of his Theological Studies, he was ordained priest in the Church of St Francis Xavier in 1922 by Bishop Perrichon.
Fr Stephen Lee started his pastoral work at the Church of Visitation in Seremban, where he was to serve two years before his transfer to Sts Peter and Paul in Singapore, where he assisted Mgr. Mariette. At Sts Peter and Paul, the welfare of the youth was of paramount importance to Fr Stephen Lee. He tackled the problem of the altar boys who served in dirty and discoloured sutans, and more often than not, barefooted as well. He bought shoes for them, but these were left in the sacristy once mass was over, and then they went home unshod. Fr Stephen Lee also made new brilliant red sutans for them which at once improved their behaviour once put on. Then he went on to revamp a new youth group and named it St Tarcisius Brigade, after the saint for youth. At Sts Peter and Paul, Fr Stephen Lee also looked after a few orphans who were housed in a building next to the church which later became Catholic High School.
Completing St Teresa’s Church and Settlement
St Teresa’s was finally completed in 1929, but it had no Parish Priest till Fr Stephen was appointed in 1935. The grand church had remained relatively quiet till 1935 because Kampong Bahru in those days was still considered “ulu” and the small number of itinerant Indian Catholic labourers at the dockyard could not provide St Teresa’s with a stable community. The Hokkien Catholics whom the church was originally built for, were also residing too far from the church. They were mostly settled along the East Coast area at this time. What was needed was the creation of a Catholic community around St Teresa’s.
It was Fr Stephen Lee who mooted the idea for a Catholic Settlement to be built near the church so as to bring life to the parish. And since the Carmelite Nuns were also in need of a monastery when they arrive, it was most logical for Fr Stephen Lee to start building once again. Thus, in 1934, 25 lots of land covering an area of 6.75 acres was acquired. A great part of this land was an old private cemetery. Those buried there had previously been exhumed before the land was put up for sale. Land development began in 1936. By 1937, plans were finalized to erect the Carmel Convent, 6 bungalows and 10 barrack houses. These were completed 1938. The bungalows then assumed names of the “Little Flower” such as Teresa Point, Teresa Gap, Teresa Ghaut, Teresa Holt, Teresa Kiosk. After this, the Bishop, on the advice of Fr Stephen, built the Carmelite Convent of Christ the King on Bukit Teresa in 1938. And with this, the first contemplative order to begin their holy work in Singapore was planted. Fr Stephen Lee became their chaplain.
When War Came
War came to Singapore on 8 December, 1941, when at 4.15 am the first bombs were dropped on Radin Mas, Silat Road, North Canal Road and Havelock Road. At the same time, the Japanese Army also began its land invasion towards Singapore from the north of Malaya. Thus, many people from the Peninsula were stranded in Singapore and others arrived from the north to escape the fighting. Some of these people came to Kampong Bahru. But the war came to the Little Flower too. The first bombs dropped on Bukit Teresa on 9 January, 1942, affecting nos. 28 and 38 Bukit Teresa Road. At the Carmel Convent, the asbestos ceilings disintegrated from the tremors that accompanied the explosions.
And even as the island was engaged in a life and death struggle against the invading force from across the Causeway, there was also an urgent move to complete some of God’s work before the dark days of Occupation befell. Fr Louis Wee, the first son of St Teresa’s to be ordained, was made priest at St Francis Xavier Seminary at Ponggol on 18 January, 1942. Fr Wee was immediately, after his ordination, dispatched to St Teresa’s to assist Fr Stephen Lee for a short while, up to 10 May, 1942.
On 3 February, 1942, the kitchen adjoining the parochial house was bombed out, and the following day, the British Military occupied and converted Bukit Teresa into an anti-aircraft nest. The church grounds became heavily bombarded and on 13 February 13, four bombs damaged the roof of the church, the front of the kitchen (rendering the building tileless), the front of the church and road leading to the church. Till the last day, the shelling continued by day and by night. Then on 15 February, Singapore capitulated to the Japanese Army.
The school, the church, the parochial house and Hood Lodge (Seaman’s Lodge next to the church), were granted letters exempting them from military inspection and occupation after a visit by a Japanese Officer on 10 February. But despite the exemption, the sacristy was inspected by two Japanese soldiers two days later. It was here that Fr Stephen Lee was nearly stabbed and Fr Louis Wee received an unexpected tight slap. This nasty experience shook Fr Stephen Lee who became practically a nervous wreck, and had to retire to the Bishop’s house for a rest. Fr Wee took over his duties in his absence. But the experience did not impair Fr Stephen Lee. Even while he was to be taking a rest, Fr Stephen Lee undertook the job of putting in order the final touches to the Cannossian building at Salim Road and to complete the emergency extension of the building. He was there from March 8 to May 10, 1942, then he returned to St Teresa’s and Fr Louis transferred to the Church of Sts Peter and Paul.
The Catholic Settlement at Bukit Teresa did not escape damage from the bombardment. The Hood Lodge was turned into a home for those whose homes were destroyed, those who had lost their families, those who basically had nowhere else to go. Women also found a haven at the Lodge when the Japanese came looking for women. The St Teresa’ Sino-English School too, was turned into a refuge for those who had no home to return to, many of them from Malacca.
Surviving the Sook Ching
It was not long after the Occupation began that the Japanese ordered a national “Registration” of all Chinese men in Singapore. The Sook Ching started. Many from St Teresa’s who went, never returned. Mr Stephen Low, a parishioner, remembers…
“My father had to go. The Japanese rounded up lots of them (men) and marched them to Tiong Bahru to ‘hear a talk’. So on the way there, he met Fr Stephen Lee who was cycling in the opposite direction. When he saw my father, he whispered to him to ‘get lost, get away’. He told my father to disappear. So, when my father saw a chance, he hid behind some trees along the road, and he hid there till nightfall. During this time, we were staying in Father’s house. We all wondered where my father could be. But my father was hiding near the slope next to the road (near the church). There were lots of bushes there, he was hiding there. He dared not come out till it was night time, then he went home……I know lots of people were killed, especially the Chinese. There were others who managed to escape by swimming across the Singapore River. The Japanese, they didn’t want the people to suspect anything, so they said, ‘come, we are going for a talk or a registration’ then they just followed them, either marching or in a truck. Those who went by truck all ‘kerna’, all ‘mati’. But those who marched, some managed to escape. They jumped into the Singapore River.”
The men were not the only ones who were persecuted, so were the women. There was a limit to the sanctuary the Church could provide in such times. Mr Stephen Low recalls how his mother had also a narrow escape…
“My mother was threatened by the Japanese at the trench. There was a trench behind the priest’s house. We children were playing there when the Japanese came looking for her, and told her to go in. So we cried and cried. We suspected that they were going to shoot her. We didn’t know what they were up to. We all cried and cried and then she went in, but came out from the other side. They didn’t do anything. Luckily…. Don’t know what made them change their minds. Maybe it was our crying.”
The kinds of atrocities experienced during the Occupation years was most horrifying for the people of Singapore who had never been subjected to such terror. The people of St Teresa’s, if they had escaped the atrocities themselves, they did not escape seeing them. At the warehouse in front of the church, an Indian was caught for stealing. He was made to kneel with his hands tied to his back on a heap of iron. No food nor drink was given. Night and day, rain or shine, he remained there till he disappeared. Even just before the Japanese surrendered in 1945, when thousands of Javanese labourers, starved and in rags, were led along Kampong Bahru Road, many of the sick fell and died along the road. The Japanese did not allow their bodies to be removed till after 5 to 6 days afterwards.
Life during the Occupation years was that of deprivation. With their ration cards, everyone collected the same amount of rations which included some rice and sugar. For large families like Mr Stephen Low’s, the Black Market was perhaps the only solution to get what was needed at home. Mr low’s mother had to actually sell her jewelry in the Black Market for “banana notes” through the Occupation years just to get enough to feed the children. And of course, to supplement the food rations, almost everyone had to grow tapioca or sweet potatoes.
When Peace Returned
On 11 August, 1945, the emergency sirens sounded and there were strong rumours that the war was coming to an end. This was the time that the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and on 20 August, the Syonan Shimbun confirmed that the Japanese had indeed surrendered to the Allies unconditionally. All in Singapore awaited eagerly for the return of the British. And when the Allies began their landing from the harbour, the parishioners of St Teresa’s, up at Bukit Teresa, all came out to greet their liberators. Fr Stephen Lee had even allowed some to be up at the Belfry “to see the soldiers coming,” while the bells of the church rang out in welcome. At long last, Liberation!
On 9 September, 1945, Fr Stephen Lee delivered his first sermon after the Japanese Occupation from the pulpit. It must be remembered that preaching was banned during the Occupation. The sermon was emotion-charged and filled with gratitude to the Almighty but one without vindictiveness to the Japanese, although he himself suffered much under their hands, leading to his nervous breakdown. But most inspiring of all, was his stirring call to the congregation to stand up to sing “God Save the King”. He also instructed that the five bells of the church be rung as loud as possible, sending off their joyous peals to the environs of Kampong Bahru.
On the next day, a Requiem High Mass was offered for the war dead and for all those who had been massacred by the Japanese. A day after this, a Thanksgiving Mass was sung and, believe it or not, the cook bought a kati of pork for 6,000 Japanese dollars. A “Historical Pig Party” was held for the for the starved prisoners of war stationed at Tanjong Pagar. The pig, donated by Mr John Tay, cost $300,000 (Banana Money).
At the church service on 16 September, 1945, Fr Stephen Lee sent forth yet another of his appeals, this time on behalf of his famished parishioners. He appealed to the British Armed Forces to spare cigarettes and chocolates for them. Again, the response was tremendous; Captain I L Lloyd, commander of the HMS Duntroon, spearheaded the generous donation.
The war had not only shaken the people, but land and properties were also equally in bad shape after the war. It was time to pick up the pieces or what was left of the pieces. The strenuous task of rebuilding the St Teresa’s once again fell on the shoulders of Fr Stephen who went about it in his usual manner. Fr Stephen had to exploit all avenues to secure enough funds for the rebuild of the war ravaged church. The church and all the houses along Bukit Teresa Road were damaged by Japanese bombs. A claim was sent in on 7 April, 1947 for S$101,500. However, after four years, the War Damage Commission made an initial payment of S$350. And by 30 October, 1952, the Commission assessed the damaged to be at S$53,055 and only half was paid. The money went into the repair of the church.
On 21 May, 1948, St Teresa’s was honoured by the visit of the Cardinal Francis Spellman and Mgr. Fulton Sheen in the course of their Far East tour. They inspected the vestiges of the damages caused by the bomb which struck the church, and this led Mgr. Sheen to remark afterwards,
“I know that this particular church was struck by a bomb. The only evidence of bombing that one could see there was the mark of the shrapnel on one of the Stations of the Cross. Very fittingly, that place still remained like Veronica’s veil on the Station of the Cross. It marked in some way, the continuation of the agony of Christ Himself. But despite of all the destruction, the people of that parish have rallied to support their very wonderful pastor and have renewed their edifice.”
Fr Stephen Lee truly occupy a very important brick in the Annals of the Church of St Teresa. On 16 February 16, Fr Stephen Lee celebrated his Silver Sacerdotal Jubilee in the parish. The great number of Catholics other parishes who attended the mass bore testimony of his great contribution to the Church of Singapore. On the night of 19 November, 1956, Fr Stephen Lee, “the man of many seasons”, was called to the Lord at the age of sixty.
