Message from the Bishop of Colombo (22nd March 2020) - English
Pastoral Letter by the Bishop of Colombo - 21st March 2020
A Special Joint Statement by the Bishops of the Church of Ceylon of the Dioceses of Colombo and Kurunagala on the Risk of the Spreading of COVID19 also known as the Corona Virus in Sri Lanka.
CEMET conducted a tree planting and ½ day environmental programme on Sunday 23rd February 2020 at Christ church Beverley. This programme was organized by CEMET (Commission for Environment and Medical Ethics) at the invitation of Brother Nixon for the children, youth and adults of the parish.
The programme consisted of sessions on Christian basis for environmental friendly lifestyle ( including nutrition and hygiene, family life , spiritual health ) By Dr Rohantha Periyapperuma, Garbage Management ( reducing, reusing recycling) By Mr Roy Patrick and Home Gardening by Ms Chitrani Menikge for the youth and adults. Br Nixon assisted in translation.
In May 2016 the General Assembly appointed a Twenty Member Commission drawn from Kurunegala and Colombo Dioceses (Church of Ceylon) giving them a specific task. The task entrusted to the Members of the Commission was to consult the members of the Church of Ceylon as far as possible and submit a report to the General Assembly with their findings and specifically to give reasons as to why we should pursue the path to obtain the status of becoming a Province in the Anglican Communion which we lost in 1970 due to the fact the churches in the then Province like India, Pakistan and Burma created their own provinces and leaving the dioceses of Colombo and Kurunegala to become an extra- provincial dioceses under authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Although it was a temporary arrangement it has continued for 50 years.
Four deacons were ordained into the priesthood at a service on 30th November 2019 at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour.
They were, Revds. Joshua Crispus, Damitha Dharmakeerthi, Ruwan Kumara and Surain Fernando.
The preacher at the Service of Ordination was Revd. Adrian Aaron, Vicar of Holy Emmanuel Church, Moratuwa, who also conducted the retreat for the ordinands.
His Grace, Archbishop Michael Curry, Primate and Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal (Anglican) Church of the United States together with a “Pilgrim Delegation” of 12 others visited Sri Lanka from 16th to 25th November 2019. In the delegation were Ms. Teri Lawver, the Chair of Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), 3 Bishops and 2 clergypersons. Incidentally, this was the first visit ever of a Primate of the US Episcopal Church to SrI Lanka.