Another parishioner, Ms Lisa Tan, found out about what happened from her parents who were at the afternoon mass.

The 26-year-old engineer, who has attended the church since birth, said the church has gathered to pray for Father Lee’s recovery.

“Father Chris is known to be very kind and generally a very caring parish priest, so I think everyone is saddened by the news of seeing him injured,” he said.

One parishioner who was left shaken by the ordeal was Mrs. Joseph.

The 50-year-old, who only wanted to be known by her surname, said the community was coming together despite the difficult time.

Although the software engineer was not at the Saturday night mass, she learned about the incident through messages from other church members.

“It was quite shocking, I would say we are still in shock… we just have to be strong,” she said, visibly emotional.

He added that he had personally spoken to Father Lee several times in his five years of attending church with his family.

“We just pray and hope that things go back to normal.”