Sunday - 7.30 AM (English) - 1st Sunday of the Month
History
The church mission house and school were all situated in the Church premises. The school was the property of the CMS. The first incumbent was the Rev. R.T Dowbiggin(1896-1902).
The first Sri Lankan priest was the Rev. R.T.E.A. Gunathilleke(1918-1934). Priests from the Cotta Mission visited Mampe Church, which at one stage was under the Church of Nugegoda. Superintending ministers visited and worked in the parish in the early times.
In 1962, with the Government takeover of Church schools, the mission house was also taken with much of the land that belonged to the Church.
The foundation stone for the extension of the Church was laid by Ven (later) Bishop Harold De Soysa on 12 March 1961.
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Contact Details
Postal Address
St. Luke's Church, Old Kesbewa Road, Mampe, Piliyandala, Sri Lanka
The story of our beginnings maybe traced to the “house Church” at the home of Mr. R.B.W Jayasekera who lived at Station Road in close proximity to the Railway Station. Services were held from April 1964 in the drawing room of the home by the Rev. G.A.F De Silva who was then a Deacon and Assistant Curate to the Rev. F.W. Daundasekera, Vicar of Christ Church, Dehiwela. With the ordination of the former to the priesthood in December of the same year arrangements were made to hold services in a prayer room on Galle Road, again at the residence of Mr. R.B.W Jayasekera. The Bishop of Colombo dedicated the place for public worship, but with the increase in numbers it was decided to build a hall which could be used as a Church and school. In pursuance of such a decision the chapel and school hall was built.
On the transfer of the Rev. G.A.F De Silva, the Rev. L.O Toussaint was appointed in June 1930 as Assistant to the Rev. J.G.N, Seneviratne, Vicar, Christ Church, Dehiwela. Services were held regularly on Sundays and Weekdays in a small room adjoining the hall which was used for classes by the Girl’s school with the sanctuary screened off. On Saturday’s members of the parish willingly helped in arranging the hall for the Sunday services, in the “Chapel of the Ephiphany” as it was then known. The need for a Church, where the members of the parish could drop in at any time for prayer, was greatly felt and in 1937 a site for the building of a church and parsonage was purchased by the Bishop of Colombo. A Church Building Committee was formed and an appeal for funds to build a church was made. Designs for a church were also submitted to the Church Architectural Committee, but as the money collected was insufficient the project was not undertaken.
The Rev. Wickremasinghe took charge of the parish in October 1848. With his gift for organization and experience in raising funds to build the Church of St. Mary and St. John’s, Nugegoda, he set out with great enthusiasm to collect money for building a new church. But in February of the following year he was called for higher service, and the parish was plunged into great sorrow and dismay.
The Rev. S.D. Bartholomeusz(1949-1955) was appointed in place of Rev. Percy Wickremasinghe. During his time a new design for the Church was drawn up and a Building Committee as well as every member of the parish was filled up with Rev. Bartholomeusz’s buoyant enthusiasm and determination to build a Church with no memorial plaques to distract the eye of the worshipper. Money did not come in easily, but prayer and trust in God helped him and the Building Committee in their work. The Archdeacon of Colombo, the Ven. A.J Kendall Barker, blessed the site and cut the first sod on 29 October 1949 and the foundation of the new Church was laid on 5 March, 1950. Thanks to the sincere cooperation and hard work by members of the building Committee, especially the late Mr. C.W De Alwis, who was in charge of the supervision of the building, the Church was consecrated for worship during the Octave of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on 6 October 1951, by His Lordship the Rt. Rev. Archibald Graham Rollo Campbell and given the name “The Church of St. Francis of Assisi.”
The Wardens then addressed themselves to the task of building a Vicarage as the Annex to “Ivanhoe” was across Hotel Road, and which served as a Vicarage, was too small and inconvenient. The foundation stone was laid on Sunday, 26 July, 1953. Mr. C.W De Alwis undertook to supervise the building which was completed for habitation before the end of the year.
Rev. Dougals Bartholomeusz was formally instituted and inducted as Incumbent on 6 January, 1955, the Feast of the Epiphany.
During the period of the Rev. A.J.C. Selvaratnam(December 1961-June 1965) a Holy Communion Services in Tamil was started once a month on a Sunday evening.
The long awaited parish hall was built and declared open on 1 May 1966. In February 1974, a beautiful Belfry was built with the contribution of one parishioner. At the end of 1975 a tiny cottage was built near the Vicarage as quarters for the sexton.
Chapel of the Transfiguration, St. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia
Chapel of the Transfiguration, St. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia
Date of Consecration
1854 - 09 -21
Archdeaconry
Galle Archdeaconry
Vicar
Rev. Amal Fernando
History
The Chapel of the Transfiguration, S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia was built due to the efforts of the Revd G M Withers, Sub Warden of the School, who raised funds from old boys and benefactors, even going around the island on his motorcycle and visiting them in their homes to solicit funds. The Chapel was consecrated on the 13th of February 1927 by Bishop M R Carpenter-Garnier and named for the Transfiguration of Jesus.
The architecture of the Chapel is Byzantine, a departure from the normal Gothic that was in vogue at that time and this reflected the dominance of the Anglo-Catholic school that valued the influence of Eastern Orthodoxy. It is set on the highest point of the campus to symbolise the centrality of faith to the education offered by the school. The Chapel is valued by adherents of all faiths in the College and over the years, as and when financial support was necessary a number of non Christians have contributed towards the cause.
The liturgical worship style of the Chapel is decidedly Anglo-Catholic and is supported by a world famous all boys choir that maintains a high standard of Anglican choral music and is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music in the UK. The magnificent and awe inspiring mural of the Transfiguration by David Paynter was completed in 1968 to celebrate the Golden Jubillee of the College moving from Mutwal to Mount Lavinia. Daily morning services of prayer and a sung Eucharist on Sundays during school term as well as special liturgical events such as the Feast of the Transfiguration on the 6th of August and the well known Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in December are the main acts of worship during the year.
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Contact Details
Postal Address
Chapel of the Transfiguration, St.Thomas College, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka
According to the historian Valentyn, the earliest reference to a church in Galkissa is in 1705 when there was a pretty good church, roofed with tiles and built upon 10 masonry and 20 stone pillars, taken from the heathen temple of Pepiliyana with a wall of clay three and a half feet high.
At the time the British arrived in Sri Lanka, in 1803, there was a Church in Galkissa. It was roofless and according to the historian Valentyn, a Church had been built by the Dutch in 1705 in Galkissa, and this was most probably that Church. Due to the proximity of the Church to the Governor’s country residence at Mount Lavinia, Sir Robert Brownrigg took a personal interest in its restoration, which commenced around 1820, meeting much of the cost out of his private purse. Evidently the Governor frequently attended Sunday worship in this Church.
This Church was used for many years prior to its formal consecration. Till 1833 the only resident minister at Christ Church was a “proponent.” This was a clerical functionary peculiar to the Church of Holand, performing duties intermediate between those of a Catechist and a Deacon of the Church of England, under the Archdeacon.
In 1833, Canon S W Dias was the first regular Minister. In addition, to Christ Church, Galkissa, he was in charge of the parishes of Moratuwa and Koralawella.
The Church was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Trevor Spencer, Bishop of Madras, on 16 February 1843.
Canon S.W Dias was succeeded in 1852 by the Rev. James Thurstan, who was also in Charge of Milagiriya, Polwatte and Thimbirigasyaya. In 1889, the Rev. Dr. G.B Ekanayake was appointed visiting priest of Christ Church and it was during his tenure of office that the Deacon who was permanently attached to Christ Church Galkissa, the rev. Mathias De Silva was ordained a priest and Christ Church had its first full time pastor. In 1916, the Rev. Francis Mendis was appointed full time pastor. It was during his tenure of office that the Church became a self supporting parish and the old Vicarage was built.
The Rev. F.R.E Mendis was appointed Vicar in 1946. It was during his time that major structural changes were made to the Church. The sanctuary on the East Side of the Church ws moved to the West, and the entrance moved to the East and a porch was added, literally making it possible for anyone to step into the Church from the Galle Road. Two side Chapels were also added, to serve the expanding congregation.
With the main entrance from Galle Road, when the Rev. Felix Dias Abeysinghe was Vicar, the main door of the Church was opened, never to be closed again on 6 June 1959, and Christ Church, Galkissa became the “Church of the open door.”
St.Matthias Church Boralesgamuwa,celebrated 100 years on 31st January 2009. Parish records indicate that the foundation stone of the building was laid on 04th February 1907.The actual consecration took place almost two years later on 3e January 1909. Rev.J.W.Balding was the first Vicar. The land on which the Church was built was owned by Mrs.Harriet Dorathea Ratnayake(nee Ruberu). Dr.Abeyratne,a philanthropist of that era,constructed the Church and also the adjoining School building. In recognition, the road was named after him. The earliest parishioners were close family members and relatives of Mr.Don Joseph Ratnayake and his wife Harriet (the owner of the land). The Church of St.Luke's Mampe,Piliyandala has been and remains, from its inception in 14th August 1880,the Sister Church. The Priest-in-charge of St.Lukes is also the Priest-in-charge of St.Matthias Boralesgamuwa. In the latter part of 2003 a Vicarage was built, within the Church compound. Fr.Brian Perera(then a Brother) became the first resident as an assistant to Fr.Ranjith Perera,the Vicar. There are 86 parishioners on the current Electoral Roll.