Heritage

Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine (කොච්චිකඩේ ශාන්ත අන්තෝනි දෙව්මැදුර)

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St. Anthony’s Church, also known as Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine, has a rich and storied history that dates back to the colonial era in Sri Lanka. .The shrine has impressive Renaissance architecture and is a place of faith for Catholics and non-Catholics. The 1st floor has a small museum dedicated to the memory of the patron saint, St. Anthony.

The church is renowned for its miraculous powers, attracting devotees from all faiths across the country who seek blessings and miracles. Despite being situated in the heart of a bustling business city, people from diverse backgrounds visit the church at all times, drawn by its reputation for granting prayers.

Despite the constant influx of visitors, the church manages to maintain a serene and peaceful atmosphere within its premises. It serves as a place of solace and spiritual refuge, where individuals can find moments of calm amidst the hectic pace of city life.

Easter Sunday Attack in 2019

Inside the St Anthony's Church, Kochchikade after the Easter bomb blast in 2019

Blood stained statue of Christ inside the St Anthony's Church after the Easter bomb blast in 2019

The 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that occurred on April 21, 2019, in Sri Lanka. Nine suicide bombers detonated their devices in six locations around the country including churches and luxury hotels. The bombings resulted in a significant loss of life and left many others injured.

The targeted sites included three churches in different cities: St. Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, and Zion Church in Batticaloa. In addition to the churches, three luxury hotels were also targeted: the Shangri-La Hotel, the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, and the Kingsbury Hotel, all located in the capital city, Colombo.

Shortly after the attacks, authorities in Sri Lanka said local militant group National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) were to blame. Islamist preacher Zahran Hashim, who founded the NTJ is suspected of having been the bombers’ ringleader who blew himself up inside one of the hotels.

However, the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for the attacks. It released a video of men it says were the bombers, pledging allegiance to the group – however all but one of the men have their faces covered in the footage.

Subsequently, it came to light that the government had prior knowledge of the impending attack but failed to take any preventive measures, leading to speculation about possible political involvement. Even after four years since the incident, no perpetrators have been held accountable, further fueling the credibility of these suspicions.

History

St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade in Kotahena was established in the 18_^th century when Catholicism was a proscribed religion by the Dutch and priests could not exercise their ministry in public.

According to legend, Father Antonio, a Catholic priest had stopped the erosion of the sea at this site by planting a cross in the location where most of the erosion took place and praying to God, on the request of fishermen of Mutwal.

The Dutch Government appreciated this favour and offered a reward and the priest asked only permission to live and die near the Cross he had planted. This was granted and the priest built a Chapel with mud in honour of his patron, St. Anthony of Padua. When he died after many years, he was buried there.

This mud church was enlarged in 1806 and the current statue of St. Anthony was brought from Goa and placed at the church in 1822.

The construction of the current church began in 1828 and was consecrated on the 1st of June 1834. The church was built in the Neoclassical style. In 1938 the church was improved and enlarged, with the addition of a chorister’s gallery, large wings on the side, and a mission house and meeting room behind the main altar. The enlarged church was consecrated on 16 February 1940.

Also See

Map of Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

Show Location (ගූගල් සිතියම)

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Travel Directions to Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine

Route from Colombo to Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine

Though :
distance : 4 km
Travel time : 10 mins
Driving directions : see on google map

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