10th December is a memorable day for us.
The day is be celebrated with special prayer
and activities that bring the community
together. A day to remember, a day to rejoice. Its a day that renews our spirit and binds us together in harmony.
Last updated: 05 June, 2008
The Dome Earlier
As its forefathers did, rebuilding, restoring and renewing the cathedral is of great importance today. Over a century in existence, the present Cathedral has welcomed an uncountable number of worshippers and visitors, resulting in much wear and tear of the premises. In order to preserve this religious, historic and architectural icon, then Parish Priest, Fr. Placidus de Silva, under the guidance of the Archbishop of Colombo, has initiated a restoration programme.
The Cathedral seeks assistance in maintaining its grandeur for future generations. The dome, which is the hallmark of the Cathedral, requires the most extensive work. The Japanese bombing of the Colombo harbour of 1942, together with other explosions has left its scar on the structure of the Cathedral.
Rev. Fr. Tony Martyn closely supervises the work in progress
The parish council along with St. Lucia’s Community Development Society has embarked on fundraising initiative. The first stage of the project, which is repairing the dome, is nearing completion. The cost for it was estimated to be Rs 14 million. However the work involved gradually grew and newer tasks were added. Thus the budget increased to Rs20mn for the first stage. The second and third stage is the replastering the outer surface of the cathedral and the restoration of the cathedral itself.
The total estimate cost for whole the initiative is Rs 39.9 million. Rev. Fr. Tony Martyn, who was appointed the new Parish Priest this year, is currently heading the initiative.
Devout parishioners have contributed generously to the restoration project, which depends largely on the continuous support from benefactors. With faith in god, his patroness
St. Lucy and the benevolence of thousands of devotees, who worship at the Cathedral, the great journey has only begun.