Landmark event on a spiritual note:

St. Mary’s Church Mattakkuliya turns 150

By Dudley JANSZ

St. Mary’s Church, Mattakkuliya which has stood the ravages of time has been spruced up to celebrate its 150th Jubilee on December 10.

The parish priest, Rev. Fr. Calistus Fernando, himself a silver jubilarian who completed 25 years of his priesthood has made elaborate arrangements to celebrate this landmark event in the church’s calendar in a spiritual and fitting manner. The main theme is “Let us step into a meaningful Christian life through the Jubilee.”

He said the church feast was an opportune time for divine intervention and the Jubilee is a unique occasion.

He exhorted the faithful to attend the daily Novenas to reflect on God’s word and live accordingly. A good confession was vital in this regard, he said.

Dry rations

He called upon the faithful to bring dry rations for the Offertory to be distributed among the poor. Decorations, he said, should be simple and meaningful avoiding the use of polythene. Monetary contributions should be channelled for charity purposes rather than spending large sums of money on fire crackers. He appealed to the parishioners to dress modestly and desist from using mobile phones during the church procession.

150 scholarships

The award of 150 scholarships for needy students, healing services and distribution of dry rations are some of the programs that have been organised. An eye camp for cataract patients will be held today.

The flagstaff was hoisted on Friday at 4.30 p.m. The Sinhala Novenas which began yesterday will continue till December 9 at 6.30 p.m. daily while the Tamil Novenas will be held at 4.30 p.m. daily.

The preachers are Rev. Frs. Daya Darshana (Sinhala), Wimal (OMI) and Philip (OMI) (Tamil).

Vespers will be sung on Saturday, December 10 at 7 p.m. presided over by the Episcopal Vicars of the Archdiocese Very Rev. Frs. Bonney Fernandopulle, Ivan Perera and Gamini Fernando.

His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith will officiate at the concelebrated Jubilee mass on Sunday, December 11 at 8 a.m.

Jubilee procession

The Jubilee procession will wend its way through St. Mary’s Lane, Jubilee Mawatha, Fergusion Road, Church Road, Kelani Ganga Mills Road, Sri Kalyani Gangarama Road, Pransawatte, Sri Wickrama Road, Farm Road, Kadiranawatta, Ekamuthupura, Vystwyke Road, St. Mary’s Road and return to the church.

St. Mary’s church dedicated to our Lady of the Immaculate Conception had its origins in 1861. The builder was Rev. Fr. Pedro Ilari, an Italian Secular priest, a reputed church builder who was also responsible for building St. James’ Church at Mutwal and St. Joseph’s Church, Grandpass.

St. Mary’s Church, at the time was a small church built of wattle and daub and it was registered as a place of worship on March 8, 1867 (No. 82) while Dr. Sillan (OSB) was Vicar Apostlic of Colombo.

In 1920 when the existing church could not accommodate the growing Catholic population, Rev. Fr. J. M. Lagathu (OMI), the parish priest took it upon himself and planned to build a new church. In September of that year, Rev. Fr. Theodore Laboure (OMI) was sent to assist him. He was a man whom Providence itself sent to Mattakkuliya to be a source of great spiritual value at the time and of this generation who will always hold his name in awe.

New edifice

Fr. Laboure was a man with a mission and moreover, a vision. He earnestly set about the task of collecting money to build a new edifice. The front portion of the old church was soon demolished and the foundation stone of the new church was laid on February 21, 1921.

He was ably assisted by K. Marku Dias, a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church and a man who has to his credit several churches and Convents designed and built by him.The choristers, today, play an integral part at the 8 a.m. English mass on Sundays and blend their lilting voices in sweet harmony.

The Sinhala and Tamil choristers too are equally outstanding in their own right.For any parish, therefore, such a commemoration is blessed with the record of painstaking efforts on the part of the pioneers, loyal and unfailing collaboration between the faithful, apart from its spiritual values.