St. Paul's Church / Gereja St. Paul, A testament to colonial history and sacrifice

Gereja St Paul Jalan Kota, Melaka

The ruins are full of rich historical changes

4.1

Introduction

St. Paul's Church and Castle were built by the Portuguese in 1521 and is one of the oldest churches built by Europeans in Southeast Asia. It is famous for the burial of the renowned missionary, St. Francis Xavier, and a statue of him is erected in front of the church. The statue is incredibly lifelike, with the only difference being the absence of his right hand. Legend has it that the Dutch did not believe in the incorruptibility of St. Francis Xavier's body after death, so they dug up his remains and severed his right hand, causing blood to flow. Consequently, the Dutch revered him as sacred and erected a statue in front of the church in his honor. Every weekend, descendants of the Dutch in Malacca come to the church to pay their respects. Located on a hilltop, St. Paul's Church was used as a fortress by the Dutch after they occupied Malacca. Ravaged by wars, St. Paul's Church became a dilapidated ruin, with numerous bullet holes on the outer walls and even the roof destroyed by bombings during the war. The Dutch then built another church, while St. Paul's Church became a burial ground for Dutch nobility. Today, the church is adorned with Latin and Portuguese inscriptions on stone tablets, serving as tombstones for the noble families of the past.