St. Anthony's Church Kochchikade

The many Catholic churches found around the city of Colombo are a lasting legacy of the Portuguese occupation of Ceylon.

St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, located near the Pettah-Fort area, is one of the most significant catholic churches in the city.

Displaying a typical cathedral façade, this particular church is revered by many Catholics due to its intriguing origin story, as it is one of enduring hardship. Legend states that when Father Antonio prayed for three days, in the present location of the church, for divine intervention in the face of rapidly rising sea levels, a sand bank emerged, allowing the local fisher folk to carry out their activities with ease.

Today, the church is frequented by not just Catholics, but by people of many faiths who fervently pray for miracles. Its neo-classical façade is an edifice of the long-standing Catholic heritage of the city of Colombo.