Sunday Times 2
The Church of St John the Evangelist Panadura 150th Jubilee Year
View(s):The church stands by the waters of the Bolgoda river, overlooking the railway bridge and the sea and is referred to as the church by the river or “Ganga langa Palliya”. Its neon cross shines at night as a beacon, symbolising hope. This also ties in with the name of the town, Panadura or “lamp at a distance”. The church enters its 150th year on Sep 14. The year will commence with a service to mark the anniversary of the church’s consecration, which will be attended by the Bishop of Colombo, the Rt Revd Dushantha Rodrigo.
“In the cool of the evening, with the setting sun on the Western coast and boats plying up and down on the flowing waters of the river, this place becomes an ideal place for silent prayer and meditation,” (extract from a past parish newsletter).
It is possibly this vista that Gate Mudaliyar Susew de Soysa, saw, which led him and his wife Engeltina de Soysa Lamaetane (nee Pieris) to fund and build the church, which at the time, was able to seat 120 persons and incurred a cost of 1,200 Sterling pounds.
Prior to building the church, a small Anglican community had worshipped in the Government Boys’ English School building at the same site, which was relocated when the church was built. Services were conducted by the Catechist Fransisco De Mel, who was ordained a Deacon in 1852 and a priest in 1863. He was the first Anglican minister for the parish under the Colonial Chaplains of Moratuwa. The parish extended from the old Digarola bridge in Moratuwa to the Kalutara bridge and included the areas of Horethuduwa and Sarikkarimulla.
The church was consecrated by the 4th Bishop of Colombo, the Rt Revd R S Copelston, and the occasion was graced by the then Governor, Sir William Henry Gregory. This coincided with the laying of the foundation stone of Prince and Princess of Wales College in Moratuwa.
Since 1848, there have been 36 clergymen who have served the parish, 4 of them from the UK.
In the early years, the church took an active role in education by running three schools. The educationist Cyril Arnold Jansz and his wife Amelia Jansz played a significant part in this aspect, culminating in the establishment of St John’s College in 1903.
The parish has grown over the years and there have been renovations to accommodate the growing space requirements, first in 1941 and subsequently in 2001. There have also been significant repairs done, such as the restoration of the stained-glass window in 1974 and the roof repair in 1984. The Parish remains vibrant through the many organisations which have grown since their inception years ago. The Choir (1885), Sunday School (1887), Youth Fellowship (1947), Mothers Union (1953), Ladies’ Guild (1974), Junior Guild (2003) and the Men’s Guild (2013), all play their part in the ministry of the church. The church over the years has engaged in supporting the wider community, while also attending to the needs of its own parishioners. These include building houses for those in need, distribution of Christmas and monthly hampers, providing a cup of tea and a snack for those receiving their monthly pensions, “share a meal programme”, and the Modera Community project, which involves a medical clinic.
The events planned for the 150th anniversary year place emphasis is on “Maintenance, Human development and Spirituality”. The programmes will culminate on Sep 19.
May the activities of the year ahead be an affirmation of God’s goodness and grace over the years, an appreciation of all those who do and have done their part, in whatever capacity and most importantly a commitment to continue its ministry as the church by the river.
- A parishioner