Msgr. Gregory Yong Sooi Ngean was born in Batu Gajah, Taiping, Malaya on May 20, 1925, and 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 to the priesthood aged 26 on December 3, 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, becoming thus the very first Malaysian 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.
Named Bishop of the Diocese of Penan, Sooi received his episcopal consecration on July 1, 1968, at the age of 43, from Archbishop Michel Olçomendy MEP., assisted by Archbishops Michel Kien Samophithak and Dominic Vendargonand. He took over the Diocese from Bishop Francis Chan who had died on October 27, 1967.
On February 3, 1977, he was appointed to succeed Archbishop Michel Olçomendy as the first of the local clergy to lead the church in Singapore. On April 2, 1977, he was officially installed as 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, after suffering a heart attack and undergoing bypass surgery.
The Archbishop died on Saturday, June 28, 2008, at St Joseph's Home in Jurong, Singapore of a heart failure, aged 83, where he had lived for his last four years of life. His body was laid out in state at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at Queen Street on Monday.
The funeral Mass was held on Wednesday followed by cremation at Mandai's Crematorium.
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.
Named Bishop of the Diocese of Penan, Sooi received his episcopal consecration on July 1, 1968, at the age of 43, from Archbishop Michel Olçomendy MEP., assisted by Archbishops Michel Kien Samophithak and Dominic Vendargonand. He took over the Diocese from Bishop Francis Chan who had died on October 27, 1967.
On February 3, 1977, he was appointed to succeed Archbishop Michel Olçomendy as the first of the local clergy to lead the church in Singapore. On April 2, 1977, he was officially installed as 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, after suffering a heart attack and undergoing bypass surgery.
The Archbishop died on Saturday, June 28, 2008, at St Joseph's Home in Jurong, Singapore of a heart failure, aged 83, where he had lived for his last four years of life. His body was laid out in state at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at Queen Street on Monday.
The funeral Mass was held on Wednesday followed by cremation at Mandai's Crematorium.
Msgr. Gregory Yong Sooi Ngean was born in Batu Gajah, Taiping, Malaya on May 20, 1925, and 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 to the priesthood aged 26 on December 3, 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, becoming thus the very first Malaysian 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.
Named Bishop of the Diocese of Penan, Sooi received his episcopal consecration on July 1, 1968, at the age of 43, from Archbishop Michel Olçomendy MEP., assisted by Archbishops Michel Kien Samophithak and Dominic Vendargonand. He took over the Diocese from Bishop Francis Chan who had died on October 27, 1967.
On February 3, 1977, he was appointed to succeed Archbishop Michel Olçomendy as the first of the local clergy to lead the church in Singapore. On April 2, 1977, he was officially installed as 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, after suffering a heart attack and undergoing bypass surgery.
The Archbishop died on Saturday, June 28, 2008, at St Joseph's Home in Jurong, Singapore of a heart failure, aged 83, where he had lived for his last four years of life. His body was laid out in state at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at Queen Street on Monday.
The funeral Mass was held on Wednesday followed by cremation at Mandai's Crematorium.
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.
Named Bishop of the Diocese of Penan, Sooi received his episcopal consecration on July 1, 1968, at the age of 43, from Archbishop Michel Olçomendy MEP., assisted by Archbishops Michel Kien Samophithak and Dominic Vendargonand. He took over the Diocese from Bishop Francis Chan who had died on October 27, 1967.
On February 3, 1977, he was appointed to succeed Archbishop Michel Olçomendy as the first of the local clergy to lead the church in Singapore. On April 2, 1977, he was officially installed as 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, after suffering a heart attack and undergoing bypass surgery.
The Archbishop died on Saturday, June 28, 2008, at St Joseph's Home in Jurong, Singapore of a heart failure, aged 83, where he had lived for his last four years of life. His body was laid out in state at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd at Queen Street on Monday.
The funeral Mass was held on Wednesday followed by cremation at Mandai's Crematorium.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
