St Anthony's Colombo

In Sri Lanka, St. Anthony has many devotees, and several Churches have been erected in his honour. One has only to visit this church on

any Tuesday of the year, to see the thousands from North, South, East

and West who come to pray to St. Anthony, to ask his help for some

need, to fulfil promises made, to thank him for answering their prayers

and show their love and respect. The History of this church at Kochchikade handed down by tradition and gleaned from the documents preserved in the Archdiocesan Archives Coalomhbo is as follows:

In the 18th Century, Catholicism was still a proscribed religion in Sri Lanka, and priests could not exercise their ministry in public. The Dutch were persecuting the Catholics but preferred to be degraded, impoverished and ridiculed rather than give up their Faith; Shrines such as Madhu, Thalawila, and Kochchikade are souvenirs of those dark days of the persecution. (S.G. Per era, S J Historical Sketches page 14) A few Orations from Goa visited the faithful in Ceylon at risk at their lives. Fr. Jacome Gonsalves the Superior of Orations, who is affectionately remembered in Ceylon as the 'father of Sinhala Catholic Literature, lamented the fact the Catholics of Colombo had no resident priest. However, a zealous priest, Fr. Antonio, disguised as a merchant, took up his abode in a house in Maliban Street, Colombo, close to St. Philip Neris Church. (The old Church faced the road) The Dutch discovered his hiding place, but Fr. Antonio, disguised, fled towards Mutwal. When the pursuers arrived, the fishermen refused to hand over Fr. Antonio until they granted them the favour they were asking for. Fr. Antonio then returned to his home at Maliban Street and came to the shore, clad in his priestly garments and with a large wooden cross in his hand. Planting the Cross at the spot most threatened by the advancing Sea, he prayed to God to manifest His Glory by working this miracle. On the third day, the waves receded, and an extensive sandbank was exposed.

(Heritage Lanka by Neil Kiriella 2017, P194)

Unique Sri Lanka

St Anthony’s Church

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