Ports Ministry gives plot of land to renovated St. Anthony’s Church
Rs.45 million spent for renovation of the church
The Ministry of Ports and Shipping has allocated a plot of land to St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade to set up a new car park, the Church authorities said.
The church, which was damaged in the Easter Sunday bomb blast, was reopened for the general public on Wednesday, in time for the annual feast.
The other special feature of the renovated church is the memorial which was built in honour of those who were killed in the attack on April 21 2019.
According to the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, a memorial is to be constructed at Katuwapitiya Church in Negombo, which was also damaged in the bomb attacks.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith specially thanked Housing and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa, Power and Energy Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Ports and Shipping Minister Sagala Ratnayake, Speaker Karu Jaysuriya and Tourism and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga, the Navy, security forces personal and the police, for their untiring efforts to restore the damaged church.
A sum of Rs.45 million has been spent for the renovation of the church according to Parish Priest Fr. Jude Raj Fernando.
Meanwhile, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva who was present at the re-opening of the church paid gratitude to the sailors who were engaged in the re-construction work of the church.
“I am very happy that within a very short period of time we managed to repair the church. We have managed to bring it to a better condition than it was. The entire work was done by the men and women of the SLN, who worked as a team,” he said speaking to the Pic Courtesy: SL Navy
media during the event.
The Navy Commander recalled that he had arrived at the Church soon after the deadly attack, and met Fr. Jude Raj Fernando who is in charge of the Church. “The Priest was in tears at that time. I told him we cannot bring the dead back to life, but can bring the Church back to how it was,” he said.