All Saints' Church, Borella

All Saints' Church is a Catholic church located in Borella, Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo and belongs to the Borella parish. It stands out among other churches in Sri Lanka for its magnificent Gothic architecture.

History

The beginnings of the church date back to 1884, when Wyndham Thompson, wife of the Superintendent of the Convict Establishment (Welikada Prisons) and an enthusiastic Irish Catholic lady, met the Governor and reserved 2 acres from the 20 acres allocated to the Campbell park to build a church. This church was dedicated to All Saints and the foundation for the current church was laid on 24 August 1935.

Interior

The interior of the church is very colorful with stained glass windows with the main window above the altar depicting Mother of Perpetual Help. The church also features a carillon made up of 25 bells cast in West Germany with each bell having a name of a saint. The church has a balcony for the choir.

Notable people

• Fr. John Herath (Parish Priest, 1948-1977)^[1]

References