gather for the opening ceremony, which was much anticipated by the people. On 29 September 2013, on its 3rd anniversary, the Church of Divine Mercy was officially elevated to parish status with Fr. Martin Arlando being the first parish priest. In 2015, the church erected a baptismal pool together with a reliquarium. The reliquarium now houses the sacred relics of Catholics saints, Faustina Kowalska and John Paul II. The Church of Divine Mercy is the first church in Malaysia to have obtained the relic of John Paul II. Current status Currently, the Church of Divine Mercy caters to about 2,500 Catholics residing in the Bayan Lepas area (also serving the Catholic staff based in the Penang International Airport and also nearby industrial factories as well as their dependents and relatives, both local Penangites as well as migrants from across the country and to a lesser extent, expatriates). The church's capacity currently seats 900 parishioners. The Christian Community Centre has a hall, meeting rooms and classrooms to cater for talks and sessions and also a priests residence. The parish priest is Rev Fr. Martin Arlando. See also Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang Holy Spirit Cathedral, Penang References External links Church of Divine Mercy Website Penang Diocese Official Website 2005 establishments in Malaysia Roman Catholic churches completed in 2005 Roman Catholic churches in Penang Divine Mercy Southwest Penang Island District