The St. Sebastian's Church, Negombo, also known as St. Sebastian's Church, Wellaweediya, is a
Roman Catholic church in
Negombo, in Sri Lanka. It is architecturally based on the
Reims Cathedral in France and is built in
Gothic Revival style
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
.
is the patron saint of the city of Negombo.
Location
The church is located on San Sebastian Street in Negombo.
History
The church was designed by Father G. Gannon, parish priest of Sea Street. Although the foundation stone was laid by the
Archbishop of Colombo
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo ( la, Archidioecesis Columbensis in Taprobane) is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, whose ecclesiastical province covers all Sri Lanka plus the Maldives (which are ...
, Pierre-Guillaume Marque, on 2 February 1936, construction was not completed until ten years later. It replaced a smaller church to accommodate the increasing number of parishioners in the majority catholic city.
It is said to be modeled in
Gothic Revival style
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
on the lines of the Reims Cathedral in France. A shadow of this church is seen in the
Negombo Lagoon.
This church is one of the many churches in Sri Lanka dedicated to St Sebastian, who is considered a martyr in the Catholic Church history. His veneration is particularly celebrated seeking relief from epidemics. A festival called the "Feast of St Sebastian" is held every year here during the month of January.
A tali drama narrating the life of Saint Sebastian used to be enacted here before 1950. Now, "Raja Tunkattuwa", a Sinhalese language drama about the
Three Kings is held here during
Christmas.
Festival
At the St. Sebastian Church an annual festival dedicated to St. Sebastian is held on 20 January. On this occasion a decorated flagstaff is affixed at the church premises. Processions are also organized and food is served free to poor people.
References
Bibliography
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{{coord, 7.219, 79.839, type:landmark_source:enwiki-googlemaplink, display=title
1946 establishments in Ceylon
Roman Catholic churches in Sri Lanka
Tourist attractions in Western Province, Sri Lanka
Churches in Negombo
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1946
Gothic Revival church buildings in Sri Lanka
20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Sri Lanka
Saint Sebastian