Fr. Cyril’s mission and the rise of the Way of the Cross at Hiniduma
The 12th station of the cross – the Crucifixion, graces the Calvary summit
As Christians reflect on the significance of Easter, they aim to follow the Way of the Cross; Christ’s path which led him to the Crucifixion on Calvary.
Let us head to Hiniduma in the district of Galle. Here at the banks of the Gin-Ganga, as we start our spiritual journey, of the Way of the Cross, a 2.5 km climb to the summit, I take you back in time on a brief historical journey.
In 1947, when a young pioneering priest Fr. Cyril Edirisinghe, took over the parish, Hiniduma had been a very remote village with no infrastructure. One night in 1948, thunder had started to reverberate with continuous lightning illuminating the sky. A tree was struck by lightning, starting a fire in the dense jungle slope across the river opposite the mission house.
The fire raged all night consuming the undergrowth. Pacing the verandah in the mission house opposite, observing it throughout the night, Fr. Cyril gazed in sorrow at the destruction of the forest. Next morning, there remained two charred branches of a camphor tree in the shape of a huge cross. He was surprised and intrigued. Easter was soon approaching and this brought to his mind the image of Christ on the cross.
He called some villagers, crossed the river on a boat and climbed the mountain where the perfect shape of the cross was seen. He knelt down there to pray and there were villagers who testified to this incident. This is where the 12th station of the cross – the Crucifixion, graces the Calvary summit today.
With his engineering and architectural talents, Fr. Cyril started the work of structuring the Calvary without delay. Under his supervision, the clearing of the jungle and the mapping was done. Instead of a steep climb, he laid a path that meandered through the trees and appropriate places were chosen for the stations of the cross. These were marked originally with wooden crosses. Later at the stations, life-size statues were erected, sculpted by a local veteran Buddhist sculptor, Mr. Somadasa, who did the sketches under Fr. Cyril’s instructions, using human models.
The church at the summit was constructed by flattening the barren rock manually. All building material was brought across the river by boat and carried up the mountain slope and all work was done with the support of the villagers who were predominantly Buddhist. When the work was going on, it was not unusual for Fr. Cyril to make river crossings and do the exhausting climb at least twice daily to give instructions to the workers.
Fr. Cyril Edirisinghe
Initially, the pilgrims did the river crossing by boat during Easter. Then 13 boats were made and were tied to one another across the breadth of the river, secured at each end to enable pilgrims to cross the river, until a wooden foot bridge was erected, with the help of Fr. Cyril’s two brothers, one of whom was an architect, and the other an engineer. During heavy floods the bridge would get washed away and it was reconstructed from time to time. Today the cantilever bridge over the river gives the pilgrim a safe crossing over Gin-ganga to start this spiritual journey on our own motherland reflecting on the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
When Fr. Cyril left Hiniduma earning the name ‘the Calvary Priest’ after his term of 20 years, Hiniduma Calvary was well established as a national place of pilgrimage. When he took over the parish in 1947, the orphanage that was in the parish was expanded and he re-named it Lama-Nagaraya. This orphanage fostered many skilled craftsmen, teachers and successful business people who in turn contributed very positively to their societies. He made major transformations to develop the village and uplift the lives of the villagers. The entire village benefited from his selfless acts. One reason for this resounding success was his enduring popularity and his unwavering dedication to help those in need making no distinction as to their religious beliefs.
He then moved on to Hewadiwela where the 15 mysteries of the Rosary were constructed and he soon developed the parish. Later he was at Elpitiya during the most turbulent times with the insurgency, where he attempted to help and guide the youth, frustrated by lack of opportunity. In all his parishes he treated the sick and helped those in need to feel their self-worth and make progress in life.
Fr. Cyril was also known in Southeast Asia for curing those affected by snake bites with a remedy entrusted to him.
The affection, brotherhood and unity he nurtured in the parishes he had been in, was exemplary. The living proof is here at Hiniduma for the pilgrim to see as they set foot on this predominantly Buddhist village, where people of all faiths survive in harmony and the pilgrim is always welcomed.
Along the way to Calvary: Life-size statues created by sculptor Somadasa
At the age of 82 in his retirement, Fr. Cyril moved to Weligama, a Muslim village and built his own church there, dedicated to Christ the Healer. The murals on the walls were done by the same sculptor Somadasa. This was the only church dedicated to Christ the Healer in the Catholic world. He was laid to rest here on the church grounds in 1987 which has now been declared a shrine.
He rendered enormous service throughout his priesthood and his illustrious life continues to be a living memorial which can inspire us on our pilgrimage and enrich our Easter vigil as we complete our journey from the Calvary. A book is due to be published soon about his religious life.
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