Holy Cross Church, Gampaha
Holy Cross Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Gampaha, Sri Lanka. It is part of the Archdiocese of Colombo.[1] The church is nicknamed the "Rock Church" because the outside of the church is faced with gneiss. The Holy Cross Church is known as Gal Palliya (Rock Church) in Sinhala language (
).
History
There was a church named "Holy Cross" near the heart of Gampaha during the Portuguese ruling period in Sri Lanka (1505–1658).[2] This was during the reign of King Rajasingha II (1629–1687), the third king of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka.
After the Portuguese era, the Dutch had control over parts of Sri Lanka. The Dutch were opposed to the Catholic and the traditional religions. The original church was ruined.
The present church was built later in a different part of the town.
Apostolic blessing
An Apostolic Blessing certificate was received from Pope John Paul II for the 75th anniversary of Holy Cross Church in 1991.
Parish priests
| From | To | Priest |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1922 | Rev.Fr. Gregory Silva |
| 1922 | 1934 | Rev.Fr. P.J.Dominic O.M.I. |
| 1930 | 1931 | Rev.Fr. Alexis Seru O.M.I. |
| 1932 Feb | 1932 Sep | Rev.Fr. J.M.Kerbul O.M.I. |
| 1932 | 1933 | Rev.Fr. J.Santhiyago |
| 1933 | 1934 | Rev.Fr. D.B.Jakoline |
| 1934 | 1935 | Rev.Fr. Joseph Alosius O.M.I. |
| 1935 | 1937 | Rev.Fr. A.Godvin Fernando |
| 1937 Sep | 1937 Dec | Rev.Fr. Peter Fernando |
| 1938 | 1940 | Rev.Fr. A.Marjes O.M.I. |
| 1940 | 1941 | Rev.Fr. F.Desigo O.M.I. |
| 1941 | 1943 | Rev.Fr. L.M.V.Thomas O.M.I. |
| 1943 | 1947 | Rev.Fr. Alias Weerakkodi O.M.I. |
| 1947 | 1949 | Rev.Fr. Julius Wijesooriya O.M.I. |
| 1949 | 1955 | Rev.Fr. Phillip C. Dissanayake O.M.I. |
| 1955 | 1961 | Rev.Fr. J.L.Mikay O.M.I. |
| 1961 | 1965 | Rev.Fr. Kingsly Perera O.M.I. |
| 1965 | 1966 | Rev.Fr. Emil Perera O.M.I. |
| 1966 | 1967 | Rev.Fr. Reginold De Silva O.M.I. |
| 1967 | 1971 | Rev.Fr. J.Edwin Fernando |
| 1971 Mar | 1971 Jul | Rev.Fr. Stanley Wedasinghe |
| 1971 | 1975 | Rev.Fr. Don Tuder Pawulienes O.M.I. |
| 1975 | 1976 | Rev.Fr. Patrick M. Fernando |
| 1976 | 1979 | Rev.Fr. Don Tuder Pawulienes O.M.I. |
| 1979 | 1980 | Rev.Fr. D.A.Dassanayake O.M.I. |
| 1980 | 1987 | Rev.Fr. Luwigi Hettiarachchi O.M.I. |
| 1987 Mar | 1987 Sep | Rev.Fr. Ernest Premasiri O.M.I. |
| 1987 Sep | 1988 Aug | Rev.Fr. Sarath Silva O.M.I. |
| 1988 Aug | ..... | Rev.Fr. P.Stanis Lawos O.M.I. |
Namesakes
There are other Holy Cross Churches in the Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka:
- Holy Cross Church at Pulasthigama in Anuradhapura
- Holy Cross Church at Kalutara
- Holy Cross Church at Mahahunupitiya in Negombo
- Holy Cross Church at Mirigama
- Holy Cross Church at Tarala in Pugoda
References
- ↑ Parishes and Churches of the Archdiocese of Colombo.
- ↑ Rev. Fr. Fernao De Queyroz (
) (1617-1688). The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon
- 75th Holy Cross Church Anniversary Souvenir - 1991 September
- The Archdiocese of Colombo
- Christian Aggression
- Religion and Nationalism in Nineteenth Century Sri Lanka - Christian Missionaries and Their Critics (A Review Article by K M de Silva)
Coordinates: 7°05′39″N 79°59′43″E / 7.0943°N 79.9952°E