St. Sebastian's Church, Wellaweediya
| St. Sebastian’s Church, Negombo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Negombo, Sri Lanka |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Fr. G. Gannon |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Gothic architecture |
| Groundbreaking | 2 February 1936 |
| Completed | 1946 |
The St. Sebastian’s Church, Negombo also known as St. Sebastian’s Church, Wella Veediya is a Roman Catholic church in Negombo, in Sri Lanka.[1] It is patterned on the Reims Cathedral in France, and is built in Gothic style.[2] Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of the city of Negombo.
Location
The church is located on the San Sebastian street in Negombo.[3]
History
The church was designed by Father G. Gannon, parish priest of Sea Street. Although the foundation stone was laid by the Archbishop of Colombo, Pierre-Guillaume Marque, on 2 February 1936, construction was not completed until ten years later. It replaced a smaller church to accommodate the increasing number of parishioners in the catholic majority city.[3] It is said to be modeled in Gothic style on the lines of the Reems Cathedral in France. A shadow of this church is seen in the Negombo Lagoon.[2]
This church is one of the many churches in Sri Lanka dedicated to St Sebastian who is considered a martyr in the Catholic Church history. His veneration is particularly celebrated seeking relief from epidemics. A festival called the "Feast of St Sebastian" is held every year here during the month of January.[4] A tali drama narrating the Life of Sebastian used to be enacted here before 1950. Now, "Raja Tunkattuwa", a Sinhalese language drama about the Three Kings is held here during Christmas.[2]
Festival
At the St. Sebastian Church an annual festival dedicated to St. Sebastian is held on 20 January. On this occasion a decorated flagstaff is affixed at the church premises. Processions are also organized and food is served free to poor people.[5]
References
- ^ Anandappa 1990, p. 169.
- ^ a b c Fernando, W. T. A. Leslie. "Religious fervour and communal harmony in Negombo". The Daily News. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ a b "San Sebastian church". minube.net/. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ "Saint Sebastian venerated for intervention in epidemics". Asian Tribune. 21 January 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ^ Frey & Lemmer 2001, p. 63.
Bibliography
- Anandappa, J. B. Clinton (1990). The Catholic directory of Sri Lanka, 1989/90. J.B.C. Anandappa.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Frey, Elke; Lemmer, Gerhard; Jayanthi Namasivayam (2001). Sri Lanka. Nelles. ISBN 978-3-88618-229-9.
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