The Faith Of St. Paul’s Church
Under the British, St. Paul’s Church was first used to store explosive gunpowder. Later on it was left on its own and its condition deteriorated. In 1924, the old Portuguese burial vault was uncovered and in 1930 excavation work started. The tombstones were then placed on the walls of the old church and are still standing there today.
In front of the church stands a statue that is missing a hand. This statue is that of St. Francis Xavier, the Spanish Jesuit missionary who used the church as his base for his missionary works to Maluku Island, Ambon Island, Japan, China, etc. during the Portuguese era in Malacca. The statue commemorates the 400th anniversary of his coming to Malacca. The statue is missing its right arm due to the falling of a casuarina tree that fell on it; breaking it right off.