Most visited Tourism Destinations places in Colombo - St. Lucia's Cathedral

 

                     St. Lucia's Cathedral

St. Lucia's Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo in Sri Lanka. The cathedral is located at Kotahena, in the north east of Colombo, on 18,240 sq. ft. of land. It traces its origins to a small structure for worship built during the Dutch occupation. Named after and dedicated to the virgin and martyr saint Saint Lucy, the cathedral is considered the oldest and largest parish cathedral in Sri Lanka. The facade rests on massive Ionic columns and is adorned with seven statues. Silhouetted against the sky is the cross on the concrete lantern crowning the dome, the pinnacle of the cathedral. The interior of the cathedral consists of a row of ornate, larger-than-life statues of saints along the side aisles, sculptured and painted in minute detail; many of these statues were installed in 1924 by priest and artist Rev. Fr. J Milliner. Open confessionals of intricately carved dark wood are also placed along the aisles. On the left, in front of the sanctuary, is a unique dark-skinned Madonna called 'Our Lady of Kotahena', which is taken in procession during the annual celebrations. Altars of white marble are located in the transepts of the church with relics enshrined within them.