St. Lucia’s Cathedral
| St. Lucia's Cathedral | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Kotahena, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Year consecrated | 1881 |
| Status | Active |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) |
Bishop Hillarion Sillani |
| Architectural style | Renaissance and Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1782 |
| Completed | 1902 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | East |
| Capacity | 6000 |
| Height (max) | 46m (151 ft) |
Bishop Hillarion Sillani
St. Lucia's Cathedral (Sinhala: කොටහේන ශාන්ත ලුසියා ආසන දෙව්මැදුර Kothahena Santha Lusiya Asana Dewumædura) is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo in Sri Lanka. The Cathedral is located at Kotahena, in the north east of Colombo, on 18,240 sq. ft. of land, and is dedicated to Saint Lucy. It traces its origins to a small structure for worship built during Dutch occupation.
Named after the virgin and martyr saint St. Lucy, the cathedral is considered the oldest and largest parish cathedral in Sri Lanka. The facade rests on massive ionic columns and is adorned with seven statues. Silhouetted against the sky is the cross on the concrete lantern crowning the dome, the pinnacle of the cathedral.
The interior of the cathedral consists of a row of ornate, larger-than-life statues of saints along the side aisles, sculptured and painted in minute detail; many of these statues were installed in 1924 by priest and artist Rev. Fr. J Milliner. Open confessionals of intricately carved dark wood are also placed along the aisles. On the left, in front of the sanctuary is a unique dark skinned statue of the Madonna called 'Our Lady of Kotahena', which is taken in procession during the annual celebrations. Altars of white marble are located in the transepts of the church with relics enshrined within them.
Surmounted on the main altar is a beautiful statue of St. Lucy holding up her eyes on the palm of her hand. The exquisite stained glass windows when lit by sunlight create a panorama of colour further enhancing the transepts of the church. In a far corner of the church is a circular Baptismal Font of white marble carved with cherubs, and crowned by a statue of John the Baptist. On going up the narrow staircase that leads to the choir loft, one encounters 'Anthony Thomas', an enormous bell weighing 4300 lbs. The bell has intricate engravings of elaborate floral wreaths and holy figures and symbols of Christianity, and it is the largest of the four bells shipped from Marseilles and christened at the cathedral in 1903. The choir loft also contains a unique pipe organ donated to the cathedral in 1934.
The view of the cathedral from the choir loft is a grand one, with the episcopal throne of the Archbishop of Colombo standing out as a majestic highlight in the sanctuary below.
...
Wikipedia