St. Anthony’s Church, Nittambuwa marks 150th Jubilee anniversary

Titus EVANS

COLOMBO: The Catholic community of St. Anthony’s Church, Nittambuwa will commemorate the 150th Jubilee Anniversary of the inception of the Church in Nittambuwa while celebrating the 50th Jubilee of the existing Church building.

The Church is located in the vicinity of the Nittambuwa junction and its origin is traced to the year 1856 when a group of traders from Moratuwa area in caravans used Nittambuwa as a resting place on their journey between Colombo and Kandy.

They had established contact with a few Catholic families in the area, and had purchased a property to commence a devotion to St. Anthony in a temporary cadjan hut which is considered the basis for the first Church in Nittambuwa.

By 1956 the small hut had been replaced by a more permanent structure and a mission house constructed. At the time, the Nittambuwa Church was administered from Veyangoda where the Parish Priest had his permanent residence.

In 1928, Rev. Fr. Stephen Aloysius who was appointed to be in charge of Veyangoda mission opted to change the permanent residence to Nittambuwa, a landmark which usurped a spiritual revival and contributed towards upliftment of economic conditions of the people of the area.

The pioneering services of Fr. Aloysius were not limited in any way to the Catholics. His vision was large enough to accommodate all irrespective of colour creed or status and was stern, fearless, strong personality who maintained strict discipline be it in secular or religious matters in the community.

His friendship and close association with the Ven. Mahanayake Thera of the historic Vidyananda Pirivena of Nittambuwa was exemplary and establish the great harmony and co-operation that exists to date between the Catholic and Buddhist communities in the area. He was called to rest in 1935.

Rev. Father William Perera who succeeded Rev. Fr. Stephen laid the foundation for the construction of the new Church building in 1936. It took almost 20 years for completion of construction.

On June 24th 1956, the new Church was blesses, rededicated to St. Anthony and declared opened by the then Archbishop of Colombo, the Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Cooray OMI.

Twenty one priests have since served the Catholic community in the Nittambuwa Parish. The present incumbent Rev. Fr. Lester Nonis together with Asst. Rev. Fr. Shelton Dias declared the Jubilee Year in June 2006, and have conducted many a religious exercise towards spiritual revival of the community.

They have been able to attract active participation of the parishioners, young and old, for rehabilitation and maintenance work of the material resources of the Nittambuwa Church.

In commemoration of the twin events; 150 years of establishment of the first Church and 50 years of construction of the existing Church, the Nittambuwa Catholic community has arranged many events culmination of which will be the grand evening service to be held on June 23, 2007, and the Festive High Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis on June 24.