The Church in Sri Lanka

Hundreds of children from the Diocese of Jaffna participated in a Rosary procession on Saturday, October 24. The event took place at the Shrine of Our Lady of Refuge in Jaffna.

The gathering followed a global call from the Pope for one million children to pray the Rosary for world peace and for children and families living in war zones. Under the direction of Bishop Jerot Selvanayagam, the children participated in Rosary liturgies and a procession through the shrine grounds.

Bishop Anthanran Ranjith blessed and opened the new St. Annai Velankanni Church in Udayanagar, Kilinochchi, on Saturday, October 17. The Bishop of Jaffna presided over the Mass to mark the completion of the church construction.

The construction project was organized by the parish priest, Father Jeyakumar. Mr. Vamadevan Thyagendran provided 75 lakh rupees to fund the building works. Priests, religious sisters, and members of the local community attended the ceremony.

The Diocese of Jaffna opened the Arivalayam religious education building complex at St. Anthony's Church in Chunnakam on Sunday, October 18. The project was built in memory of Father Edmund Michael Amalmathirathiyagi, the former parish priest of Chunnakam.

Bishop Manuel David presided over the Mass and blessed the new buildings. The event was organized by the current parish priest, Father Nixon Collins. During the ceremony, parish secretary Philip Premadasan gave a remembrance speech about Father Edmund Michael, and tree saplings were planted on the church grounds in his memory.

The Christian Religious Affairs Department provided one million rupees in funding for the construction of the complex.

The Urumpirai parish held a Rosary procession on Sunday, September 18, to pray for world peace. The event followed the guidance of the Pope and included one million children.

Parish priest Father Anthonypillai Agasrin organized the procession, which involved all religious education students and catechists from the parish. Participants walked around the church grounds before gathering inside for the Rosary. Hundreds of people, including priests and religious sisters, attended the prayer service.

Jaffna diocesan Vicar General Father Manuvurpillai David provided the final blessing at the conclusion of the event.

The Diocese of Jaffna held workshops in October to introduce the 2027 curriculum reforms for Catholic religious education teachers.

The first workshop took place on October 19 and 20 at the Diocesan Catechetical Centre auditorium for teachers in the Jaffna education zone. Sunitha Venansius, Rajani Kenath, and Victoria Elvis Presly facilitated the session, which was organized by the Jaffna education zone under the coordination of Victoria Elvis Presly, the associate coordinator for religious education teachers. 35 teachers attended the workshop to prepare for teaching the Catholic religious education curriculum to Grade 6 students in 2027.

A second workshop for teachers in the Valikamam education zone was held on October 22 and 23 at St. Henry's College in Ilvalai. Victoria Elvis Presly and Anusrathas facilitated this session, which was organized by the Valikamam education zone under the coordination of Anusrathas, the associate coordinator for religious education teachers. 50 teachers participated in this workshop.

The Alleppey Parish held a special event for National Youth Day on Sunday, October 18. The program included a Mass at St. Carmel Church in the morning, followed by a leadership development seminar at St. John's Church.

Jagan Karunasan, an artist from the Jaffna Diocese Scripture Center, facilitated the seminar. The day concluded with a youth gathering and a meal at the parish center. Approximately 20 young people attended the events, which were organized by parish priest Father Leo Amstrong.