St Lucia's Cathedral in Colombo

St. Lucia's Cathedral in Colombo is the oldest and largest living Parish cathedral in Sri Lanka. The feast of St. Lucy of Sicily is celebrated on December 13 all across the world as the guardian against impaired vision. It is believed that she had the most beautiful pair of eyes and that she pulled them out to gift them to an unwelcome suitor who was enchanted by their beauty. But her eyes were miraculously given back to her and they looked more beautiful than ever before. St. Lucia's Cathedral in Colombo is named after this pure and martyr saint.

The modest origins of this 110 year old cathedral can be traced to a small chapel of wood and cadjan erected by the Oratorian fathers in 1760 when Ceylon was under Dutch rule. This was replaced by a bigger church built of brick and mortar in 1782. When Ceylon was freed from the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Goa in 1834, Rev. Fr. Vincente Rozairo was anointed the first Vicar-Apostolic of Ceylon and St. Lucia  -  s Cathedral became the first cathedral of Sri Lanka.
The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid to replace the old structure. In 1873, Bishop H D Sillani and Rev. Fr. S Tabarrani designed the building of St. Lucia  -  s Cathedral thus sowing the seeds of grandeur and splendor. The construction work was completed in 1887. The finishing touches were given in 1902.

Features of St. Lucia's Cathedral in Colombo:

  -   Located on the north-east of Colombo, this grand structure is spread across an area of 18,240 square feet of area. It rises to a height of 150 feet and the central area of the church boasts of an accommodation capacity of 6000 people.
  -   The devotees are captivated by the beauty of the cathedral.
  -   The Cathedral is a fine example of Gothic architecture.
  -   The façade is supported by massive ionic columns and is embellished with seven statues.
  -   Altars, exquisite stained glass windows, a dark skinned statue of Madonna are the major features of the church.
  -   The Cathedral has been witness to major historic events.