Kachchativu’s St. Anthony’s church handed over to Jaffna Diocese
The newly built St. Anthony's Church in Kachchativu island was vested with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna on Friday with the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne officially handing over the church to the Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Revd. Dr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam .
The Navy was commissioned to construct the new church during last year’s feast, when the Vicar General of the Jaffna Diocese laid the foundation.
According to the Navy, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne issued directives to a team of naval personnel to undertake the construction of the new church with immediate effect.
Kachchativu, an islet of 1.15 square kilometres, is uninhabited and located some 10 kilometres from Delft Island, Jaffna. Fishing communities both in Sri Lanka and India consider St Anthony to be the “guardian of the sea” when they venture out to sea fishing. Both countries fishermen used this island to dry their nets and mend their gear, a routine practice from many years ago.
The annual Kachchativu feast which is held in February every year, is attended by a large number of Indian as well as Sri Lankan devotees with a great sense of spiritual attachment to this Island. More than a hundred devotees from Sri Lanka and 82 devotees from India witnessed the handing over ceremony of the new church on Friday.
Speaking at the ceremony Rt. Revd. Dr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam noted that the new church in Kachchativu could be declared the ‘Church of Reconciliation’ as it is open for the devotion of all Sri Lankans from different walks of life.