Novena, Singapore

Novena
Planning Area
Other transcription(s)
• Chinese	诺维娜
• Pinyin	Nuò wéi nà
• Malay	Novena
• Tamil	நொவீணா
• Tamil romanisation	Novīṇā
From top left to right: Novena Square, Shophouses in Balestier, Paronomic view of Novena as seen from Kallang, Novena Church, Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Novena Location of Novena within Singapore
Coordinates: 1°19′15.09″N 103°50′32.75″E / 1.3208583°N 103.8424306°E / 1.3208583; 103.8424306
Country	Singapore
Region	Central Region
CDCs	Central Singapore CDC North West CDC
Town councils	Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council Jalan Besar Town Council Tanjong Pagar Town Council
Constituencies	Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Jalan Besar GRC Tanjong Pagar GRC
DGP exhibited	1995
PA incorporated	22 January 1999
Government
• Mayors	Central Singapore CDC Denise Phua North West CDC Teo Ho Pin
• Members of Parliament	Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Chee Hong Tat Saktiandi Supaat Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Sim Ann Jalan Besar GRC Heng Chee How Tanjong Pagar GRC Melvin Yong
Area
• Total	8.98 km2 (3.47 sq mi)
Area rank	34th
Population (2015)
• Total	47,990
• Rank	26th
• Density	5,344.1/km2 (13,841/sq mi)
• Density rank	26th
Demonym(s)	Official Novena resident
Ethnic groups
• Chinese	38,840
• Malays	2,110
• Indians	4,210
• Others	2,830
Postal district	8, 11, 12

Central Region

Central Singapore CDC

North West CDC

Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC

Jalan Besar GRC

Tanjong Pagar GRC

Official

Novena (Chinese: 诺维娜 Tamil: நொவீணா) is a planning area located within the Central Region of Singapore. Novena is bounded by Toa Payoh to the north, Bukit Timah to the west, Tanglin to the south and Kallang to the east. While Novena is not classified as a "new town" by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the estate of Whampoa within the subzone of Balestier constitutes part of the Kallang/Whampoa New Town.

, set up by philanthropist in 1844, being one of the oldest and busiest hospitals in Singapore, is located in this area.

Novena and its associated roads, buildings and Mass Rapid Transit station are named after Novena Church (legally the Church of Saint Alphonsus) located in the area.

The current premises of the church were owned by a wealthy Chinese businessman, Wee Kah Kiat. The premises were bought over by the Redemptorist priests in 1948 where a small church dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help named the Church of Saint Alphonsus was built in May 1950. According to tradition, the novenas to Our Lady of Perpetual Help began in January 1949 and were heavily publicised and instantaneously became widespread in 1951 as intended by Pope Pius XI.