This Negombo fishing-community church purifies the heart and soul!

The year 2014 marked the centenary of the construction of the new Church of St Mary, Mother of Purification, in the heart of Negombo’s Pitipana parish.

Less than a kilometre to the south-west of Negombo town between the lagoon and the sea, Pitipana is a community of fishing folk, 95% of whom are Catholic.

Built in 1914 by French priests, this magnificent church is of considerable artistic and historic value. With its white-marbled altar and Roman architectural influences, it also has a rare collection of stained glass depicting important incidents in Jesus’s life.The new church, with ample space embellished with mosaic windows carrying images of the Virgin Mother, Jesus and the saints, resembles more a miniature cathedral than a little church in a fishing village.

Villagers remember tales of their parents and grandparents bringing sand from the beach for the construction of the new church, which was a labour of love and devotion.The main church feast is celebrated on February 2 in honour of St Mary of Purification.A French priest administrated the parish from 1888–1922, which explains why, on the last Monday in May, the feast of St Joan of Arc, the French martyr, is celebrated.

St Joan led the French against English invaders until she was captured and burned at the stake 600 years ago.

Reverend Father Millot had had a life-size statue of this French martyr sculpted in France and brought to the church in 1931 for the first celebration of the feast.

A Sinhala hymn was composed by Father Millot in honour of the saint, which is sung to the tune of La Marseillaise, the French national anthem.