St Peter's Church, Colombo
| St. Peter's Church | |
|---|---|
 St. Peter's Church
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| 6°56′15″N 79°50′41″E / 6.93750°N 79.84472°ECoordinates: 6°56′15″N 79°50′41″E / 6.93750°N 79.84472°E | |
| Location | 26 Church Street, Colombo Fort, Sri Lanka |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 22 May 1821 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Metropolis | Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Diocese | Colombo |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | Rev Pradeep Jesudian |
St. Peter's Church (Sinhala:ශාන්ත පීතර දේවස්ථානය) is one of the oldest continuously functioning churches in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is located on Church Street in Colombo Fort, on the northern side of the Grand Oriental Hotel.
During the Portuguese occupation of the country a Dominican monastery and a charity hall, the Chapel of Misericordia (House of Mercy) were constructed on the site (c.1627), where the church is now located. Nearby was an early Gothic church, St. Dominico, of which only an inscribed stone set over its arches remains. In approximately 1666, ten years after the capture of Colombo by the Dutch they converted the building into the official residence for the Governor, with an elegant two storey facade facing the waterfront. The mansion had a flat roof, a large arched portico of cubicle form, and several large windows that let in light and air. The building was used for council meetings, and a reception/banquet hall, where ambassadors from the Kingdom of Kandy were entertained.
The British firstly used the structure as the residence of Lieutenant general Hay MacDowall (General Officer Commanding, Ceylon), though by this time the building was in a state of disrepair with the roof leaking badly. Between 1796 and 1803, Wolvendaal Church was opened to Anglicans for worship. In 1804 the first British Governor, Frederick North, resolved to convert the building to a Garrison Church. publishing a notice on 14 March in The Ceylon Government Gazette announcing that a 'Divine Service will be held at the Government House on Sunday at 4.30 p.m'. Between 1810 and 1820 a portion of the building was used temporarily as a court house. In 1816 the first Bishop of Calcutta, Thomas Middleton, attended and gave a sermon at the church. In April 1821 on the occasion of the second visit by the bishop, acting on the formal request by the acting Governor Edward Barnes, he "consecrated and set apart forever for the service of God" the church on 22 May. In the same year, Governor Barnes handed over St. Peter’s Church to four trustees.
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Wikipedia