The Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour stands at 368 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07It is the mother church of the Diocese and the seat of the Bishop of Colombo.
The Building
Bishop Harold de Soysa laid the foundation stone on 28 October 1968. The Cathedral was consecrated five years later, on 7 November 1973.
That date was chosen. 7 November is the day Bishop James Chapman arrived in Colombo in 1845, and the day the Diocese keeps as Diocesan Day. Consecrating the new Cathedral on the anniversary of the first Bishop's arrival was a way of saying that the building was new and the church in it was not.
That date was chosen. 7 November is the day Bishop James Chapman arrived in Colombo in 1845, and the day the Diocese keeps as Diocesan Day. Consecrating the new Cathedral on the anniversary of the first Bishop's arrival was a way of saying that the building was new and the church in it was not.
The Name
The word that carries the weight is living. The Cathedral is not named for a Saviour who is remembered but for one who is present, and the choice of dedication was made deliberately.
Before this Cathedral
For most of the Diocese's history the Bishop had no purpose built cathedral. St Peter's Church, Fort, served as the pro-cathedral from 1845, and it is where Bishop Chapman was installed. Christ Church, Mutwal, consecrated in 1854, also served as a cathedral church.
Both are still standing and both still have congregations. St Peter's remains in the Colombo North deanery and Christ Church Mutwal holds services on Sunday mornings and Wednesdays.
Both are still standing and both still have congregations. St Peter's remains in the Colombo North deanery and Christ Church Mutwal holds services on Sunday mornings and Wednesdays.
The Lady Chapel
The Lady Chapel holds a mural by Stanley Kirinde commemorating the ordination of the Diocese's first women priests in 2006. It is worth going in to see.
