The Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

 and curia

Curia

A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...

 in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

.The country comes under the province of Colombo and is divided into 11 dioceses including one archdiocese.There are approximately 1.4 million Catholics in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 representing around 7% of the total population.

In 1995, at a ceremony in Colombo

Colombo

Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

, Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...

 beatified Father Joseph Vaz

Joseph Vaz

Blessed Joseph Vaz was a Catholic Oratorian priest from Goa. He is known as theApostle of Ceylon....

, an early missionary to the country, who was known as the Apostle of Ceylon.

Early History

Records of ancient travelers to Sri Lanka reports that a separate area was allocated for Christians in the ancient capital Anuradhapura and there was a Christian chapel used by the Persian merchants who came to Ceylon in around 5th century AD]]. The Persian cross excavated in Anuradhapura belonging to the 5th century A.D. and the decorative baptismal pond excavated near Vavuniya

Vavuniya

Vavuniya is a town in northern Sri Lanka. This town is situated in the Northern Province. Vavuniya was often referred to as the gateway to Vanni....

 proves presence of Christians in Sri Lanka during the early period Anuradhapura Kingdom

Anuradhapura Kingdom

The Anuradhapura Kingdom , named for its capital city, was the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka. Founded by King Pandukabhaya in 377 BC, the kingdom's authority extended throughout the country, although several independent areas emerged from time to time, which grew more numerous...

. Two crosses excavated around Anuradhapura in 1913 said to be identical to the cross at St Thomas Mount near Chennai

Chennai

Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...

.

Modern history

On 15 November 1505 a Portuguese fleet commanded by Lourenço de Almeida

Lourenço de Almeida

Lourenço de Almeida , son of Francisco de Almeida, acting under him, distinguished himself in the Indian Ocean, and made Ceylon tributary to Portugal...

, having been driven by a storm to the shores of Sri Lanka, landed in Colombo. With permission of the king of Kotte, Dharma Parakramabahu IX, Alimeida erected a trade station and a small chapel in Colombo. The chapel was dedicated to St Lawrence. Franciscan Friar Vicente, the chaplain of the fleet, celebrated Mass. This is the first record of a Catholic mass on Sri Lankan soil. Over the next few centuries, Portuguese, Dutch, and Irish missionaries spread the religion in Sri Lanka, most notably in the western and northwestern coast, where in some places Catholics are half the population.

Important churches

Dioceses	Church	Type	Town
Anuradhapura Roman Catholic Diocese of Anuradhapura The Roman Catholic Diocese of Anuradhapura is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka....	St. Joseph’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Anuradhapura Anuradhapura Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
Badulla Roman Catholic Diocese of Badulla The Roman Catholic Diocese of Badulla is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.Erected as the Diocese of Badulla in 1972, the diocese was created from territory in the Diocese of Kandy...	St. Mary’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Badulla Badulla Badulla , is the capital of Uva Province, Sri Lanka. Badulla is located 60 km southeast of Kandy, almost encircled by the Badulu Oya River, about 680 metres above sea level and is surrounded by picturesque hills and mountains, most of which have tea plantations.-Geography:It is located on the...
Chilaw Roman Catholic Diocese of Chilaw The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chilaw is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.Erected as the Diocese of Galle in 1939, the diocese is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Colombo...	St. Mary’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Chilaw Chilaw Chilaw is a western seaboard town on the island of Sri Lanka.It is a bustling town with a famous fishmarket and beach...
Colombo Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. It was erected as the Diocese of Ceylon from Diocese of Cochin by Pope Gregory XVI on December 3, 1834, and renamed as the Diocese of Colombo on February 17,...	St. Lucia’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Kotahena
	Basilica of Our Lady of Lanka	National Shrine	Tewatta, Ragama Ragama Ragama is a municipality located in the Western Province, Sri Lanka.Ragama is easily accessible from the Colombo - Negambo main road and is about from Mahabage junction. This is a well known town due to one major Railway junction where the main line and the Puttalam line meet. The town is also...
	St. Anthony’s National Shrine	National Shrine	Kochchikade
Galle Roman Catholic Diocese of Galle The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galle is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.Erected as the Diocese of Galle in 1893, the diocese is suffragan to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo...	St. Mary’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Galle Galle Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
Jaffna	St. Mary’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Jaffna Jaffna Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
Kandy Roman Catholic Diocese of Kandy The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kandy is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.Originally erected as the apostolic vicariate of Kandy in 1883, the diocese was elevated to a full diocese in 1886, and became a suffragan to the Archdiocese of Colombo...	St. Anthony’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Kandy Kandy Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
Kurunegala Roman Catholic Diocese of Kurunegala The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kurunegala is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka....	St. Anne’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Kurunegala Kurunegala Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...
Mannar Roman Catholic Diocese of Mannar The Diocese of Mannar is a Roman Catholic diocese for northern Sri Lanka. The current bishop is Rayappu Joseph.-History:The Diocese of Mannar was created on 24 January 1981 from parts of the Diocese of Jaffna....	St. Sebastian’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Mannar Mannar, Sri Lanka Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
Ratnapura Roman Catholic Diocese of Ratnapura The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ratnapura is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka....	Ss. Peter & Paul Cathedral	Cathedral	Ratnapura Ratnapura - Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...
Trincomalee – Batticaloa Roman Catholic Diocese of Trincomalee-Batticaloa The Diocese of Trincomalee-Batticaloa is a Roman Catholic diocese for eastern Sri Lanka. The current bishop is Joseph Kingsley Swampillai.-History:...	St. Mary’s Cathedral	Cathedral	Trincomalee Trincomalee Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
	St. Mary's Co-Cathedral	Co-Cathedral	Batticaloa Batticaloa Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...

External links

• The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka by Giga-Catholic Information
• Profile of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka