Rs. 30 m museum to be set up at St. Anthony's shrine

Thousands of devotees visit St.Anthony's shrine at Kochchikade, Colombo 13 to pray to the saint to seek favours, make vows or give thanks. Many miracles have been witnessed at this shrine those cured of terminal illness, protected from enemies, financial gains for entrepreneurs from business, employment for youth, university entrances and scholarships to students, career promotions for professionals, babies born to infertile women and finding lost things. The shrine was completed and blessed on June 1, 1834.

On January 20, 1995 Pope John Paul II visited the shrine while on his way from the airport to Colombo during his first official visit to Sri Lanka. In March last year the holy relics of St. Anthony were brought from the Basilica of Padua in Italy to mark the 175th anniversary of the shrine. Millions of devotees lined up before sunrise until midnight to pay homage to this miraculous saint.

The Administrator of the Shrine Rev. Fr. Clement Rozairo under the guidance of Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, has planned to build a museum adjoining the shrine at Kochchikade. "This Rs. 30 million (US$ 270,000) project will need a miracle to complete and with the grace of our miraculous saint and the help of the faithful devotees we will succeed". said Fr. Rozairo

The first contribution to the Museum Fund was made by the First Lady of Sri Lanka Shiranthi Rajapaksa, a devotee of St. Anthony. "The Museum Fund launched on Tuesday March 1, 2010, now stand at Rs. 1 million" said Fr. Rozairo.

The proposed museum will have many rare items related to this miraculous saint that will be of interest to the Sri Lankan public and tourists.

St. Anthony born in Portugal, in 1195 died in Padua in Italy on June 13 1231 at the age of 36. He became the quickest canonised saint in the history of the Catholic Church less than a year after his death, on May 30, 1232. He joined the Augustinian Order at the age of 15. At first he was an ascetic, but became a highly-skilled preacher after being commanded to deliver a sermon.

His rich voice, arresting manner, and moving eloquence, held the attention of his audiences. He is said to have possessed the power of bi-location, being in two places at one time.

According to historical records it is said that when the Dutch ruled the coastal area of the then Ceylon and Catholicism was proscribed during the late 17th century, Friar Antonio of Cochin, from India was sent to Colombo to administer to the needs of Catholics. As Catholic priests could not exercise their ministry in public, Friar Antonio held clandestine services at night in his small mud hut.

The Dutch discovered the Friar's residence but he escaped to a nearby fishing village where the fishermen promised to protect him if he could pray to God to prevent the erosion of the beach in Colombo North that prevented them drying their nets.

Friar Antonio placed a wooden cross at the spot most threatened by the advancing sea and prayed, surrounded by the fishermen who thwarted the Dutch attempt to detain him. On the third day of prayer, the waves receded and a protective sandbank was revealed.

The Governor of hearing this gifted him a plot of land nearby. Friar Antonio built a small shop at this spot which was called kade in Sinhalese, where he worked during the day and ministered to the local Catholics at night.

As he was from Cochin, the shop was known Cochin-Kade in Sinhalese and later became Kochchikade in Colombo 13, In 1822 the Miraculous Statue of St. Anthony was brought from Goa and positioned in the alter of the small chapel, the spot where Friar Antonio placed his cross.