Roman Catholic archdiocese in Sri Lanka
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo (Latin: Archidioecesis Columbensis in Taprobane) is a Latin metropolitan archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, whose ecclesiastical province covers all Sri Lanka plus the Maldives (which are within the archbishopric). It depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
The current archbishop of Colombo, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 16 June 2009, is Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. He is assisted in this role by the auxiliary bishops.
The archdiocesan mother church and cathedral seat of its metropolitan archbishop is St. Lucia's Cathedral. Its other national shrines are the Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka in Tewatta and St. Anthony's National Shrine, a minor basilica in Kochchikade.
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally served 637,729 Catholics (8.8% of 7,281,000 total) on 3,838 km2 in 128 parishes with 592 priests (313 diocesan, 279 religious), 1,560 lay religious (380 brothers, 1,180 sisters) and 292 seminarians.[1]
History
Erected as the Diocese of Ceylon, on territory split off from the Diocese of Cochin by Pope Gregory XVI on December 3, 1834.[2]
Renamed as the Diocese of Colombo on February 17, 1845, having lost territory to establish the then Apostolic Vicariate of Jaffna (now a suffragan diocese).
Lost territory on 1883.04.20 to establish the then Apostolic Vicariate of Kandy (now its suffragan diocese)
Pope Leo XIII elevated it to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo on September 1, 1886.
Lost territories repeatedly : on 1893.08.25 to establish Diocese of Galle and Diocese of Trincomalee, on 1939.01.05 to establish Diocese of Chilaw, all three as its suffragans
Its name was changed by Pope Pius XII to the Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon on December 6, 1944, but was returned to simply the Archdiocese of Colombo on May 22, 1972 by Pope Paul VI.
It enjoyed Papal visits form Pope Paul VI (1970.12), Pope John Paul II (January 1995) and Pope Francis (January 2015).
List of churches in the archdiocese
- Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Kandawala
- Christ the King Church, Pannipitiya
- St. Thomas' Church, Kotte
- Our Lady of Fatima Church, Battaramulla
- All Saints' Church, Borella
- St. Mary's Church, Maharagama
- Sacred Heart Church, Rajagiriya
- Holy Rosary Church, Slave Island, Colombo-02
- St. Philip Neri's Church, Pettah, Colombo-12
- St. Anthony's Church, Kollupitiya, Colombo-03
- St. Mary's Church. Bambalapitiya, Colombo-04
- St. Lawrence's Church, Wellawatte, Colombo-06
- St. Anthony's Shrine, Kochchikade, Colombo
- Fatima Church, Maradana
- St. Joseph's Church, Grandpass, Colombo 14
- St. Mary's Church, Mattakuliya, Colombo 15
- St. James the Great Church, Mutwal, Colombo 15
- St. Sebastian's Church, Panchikawatha, Colombo 10
St. Theresa's Church Colombo
The Church of St. Theresa is a Roman Catholic church located at Thimbirigasyaya Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The current parish priest is Rev. Fr. Neil Dias Karunarathne C.Ss.R.
Over time the Catholic community of the area had been growing, and a Fr. James initiated a process in 1934 to construct the existing church. In 1937, a proposal was made to Fr. Giwdan, the parish priest of Bambalapitiya, to lay a foundation for a Catholic church. The bishop gave his permission, and as a result the temporary structure was built and dedicated to St. Theresa.
In 1951, construction started and in 1952 Archbishop Thomas Cooray has handed over the church to Dominican fathers. It was completed and consecrated on 7 October 1961 by Archbishop Thomas Cooray.
