St. James' Church, Egoda Uyana

Rising majestically over a cluster of houses, overlooking the coconut palms, and wedged between the road and the river in the southernmost hamlet of Moratuwa is the plain but attractive looking Church dedicated to St. James, consecrated to the Glory of God at the beginning of the present century, on the 22 October, 1903, by the Rt. Rev. E.A. Copleston, the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese, St. James Church is a fitting monument to the religious zeal and bounty of its founder, the late Mr. V. Johanes De Mel of “Melville”, Moratuwa.

Although there is evidence of Christian worship in Egoda Uyana dating back to the early 19 century, it was only in 1856that a Chapel as part of a school hall was built in this locality, and services were held there regularly though the congregation was small.

When numbers increased a Church was built in 1874 and dedicated probably on St. James Day that year. It became the center of worship for over a quarter of a century. This old Church-a very small building-put up in the time of the late Rev. Abraham Mendis, who may justly be called the father of the Church of England in Moratuwa, was now found inadequate to accommodate the growing Anglican population.

It was at this time that the late Mr. V. Johannes De Mel, when on a visit to Egoda Uyana, deplored the condition of the Church and undertook the erection of a suitable edifice at his own expense. To this extent he purchased a plot of land about a quarter of a mile distant from the old Church, and the foundation stone of the present Church was laid on 11 February, 1902, by the Ven. F.H. De Winton Archdeacon of the Diocese, who was especially deputed for this purpose by the then Bishop of Colombo, the Rt. Rev. R.S Copleston