Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. St. Joseph Vaz Independent Delegation took over a new mission parish in the Diocese of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka on April 16, 2023. Most Rev. Norbert Marshall Andradi, OMI, Bishop of the Diocese, presided over the handing over of the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish in Polonnaruwa to the Claretians and the installation of a new Parish Priest.
Fr. Tharaka Perera, CMF was installed as the pastor, while Fr. Jenis Coonghe, CMF was appointed as the parochial vicar. Fr. Joseph Jeyaseelan, CMF, St. Joseph Vaz Major Superior, together with his two Delegation Consultors, and a few other Claretians, attended the event.
Polonnaruwa is an ancient town in the northern-central region with many historical significance including being the second capital of Sri Lanka for three centuries (11th, 12th, and 13th centuries). It is declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
The Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Parish has 47 years of history. It has 450 families spread in 5 different locations. The Diocese of Anuradhapura is a diocese with only one percent of the catholic population. This new presence opens new opportunities to work in a religious periphery where building interreligious dialogue and harmony become a key focus.
Source: Fr. Annroy Aravinth CMF, Provincial Secretary, Independent Delegation of St. Joseph Vaz
