Diocese of Colombo (Anglican) explained

Jurisdiction:	Diocese
Colombo
Image Alt:	Diocese of Colombo
Province:	Colombo
Metropolitan:	Justin Welby
Archdeaconries:	Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, Jaffna
Area Km2:	3,838
Population:	5,692,004
Population As Of:	2006
Churches:	121
Schools:	10
Denomination:	Church of Ceylon
Rite:	Anglican / Christian
Established:	1886
Cathedral:	Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour
Cocathedral:	Christ Church, Mutwal
Priests:	127
Bishop:	Dushantha Lakshman Rodrigo
Bishop Title:	Bishop of Colombo
Suffragan:	for one -->
Map:	File:Diocese of Colombo, Church of Ceylon.svg
Map Alt:	A map of the Diocese of Colombo
Website:	Website of the Diocese of Colombo

The Diocese of Colombo (Anglican Church of Ceylon) is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The diocesan bishop's seat is Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour. The current bishop of Colombo is Dushantha Lakshman Rodrigo.^{[1] [2]}

The Diocese of Colombo covers the Western, Southern, Eastern, Northern and Uva Provinces together with the Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya and Puttalam districts.

History

The first Church of England services were held on the island in 1796. In 1818, missionaries were sent to Ceylon to spread the church.^[3] Originally, it had been part of the diocese of Calcutta and later Madras. In 1930, the Church of India, Burma and Ceylon became autonomous. The Diocese of Colombo was founded in 1845, as the diocese of the Church of England in Ceylon with the appointment of its first bishop, James Chapman. It was established by law in 1886.

In 1947, the churches of South India united to form the new Church of South India. The churches in North India and Pakistan followed soon after. Burma and Bangladesh formed their own church. Sri Lanka therefore became extraprovincial within the Anglican Communion under the metropolitical authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In 1946, the Diocese of Kurunegala was formed out of the diocese of Colombo to include parts of the North-Western, North-Central and Central Provinces of Sri Lanka. The Diocese of Kurunagala was legally recognised in 1972. Together, the Diocese of Colombo and Kurunagala constitute the Church of Ceylon.

List of Bishops in Diocese of Colombo

See main article: article and Anglican Bishop of Colombo.

See also

• Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour
• St Luke's Church, Borella
• St Michael and All Angels Church, Polwatte
• St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya
• St Peter's Church, Colombo

External links

• One hundred years in Ceylon, or, The centenary volume of the Church Missionary Society in Ceylon, 1818-1918 (1922) Author: Balding, John William Madras: Printed at the Diocesan Press.
• The Church of Ceylon - her faith and mission Published in 1945, Printed at the Daily News Press by Bernard de Silva for the Church of Ceylon.
• The Church of Ceylon: A history, 1945-1995 Editor: Medis, Published for the Diocese of Colombo.
• The Church of Ceylon (Anglican Communion)
• Anglican Church of Ceylon News
• The Church of Ceylon - World Council of Churches website
• Official website of the Church of Ceylon, Diocese of Colombo

Notes and References

1. Web site: Provincial Directory: Colombo. Anglican Consultative Council.
2. Web site: Bishop of Colombo. Diocese of Colombo. 2014-11-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20140909022921/http://www.dioceseofcolombo.lk/diocese-of-colombo/bishop-of-colombo. 2014-09-09. dead.
3. Web site: History - Church of Ceylon (Anglican Communion). 2 November 2014.