St. Anthony Friary

St. Anthony Friary
Conventual Franciscans
Ethagala, Katana
Sri Lanka
Tel: (0094) 312240168

HISTORY

The first Community at the St. Anthony Friary at Ethgala in Sri Lanka, in the Archdiocese of Colombo began on 10 October 2012 with the arrival Fr. Mathew Purayidom and Fr. Kolbe Puthenpurayil. Fr. Simon the Guardian of St. Francis Friary, Negambo on 12 October 2012, blessed the existing house. The land of the friary consists of ten and half acres, which was purchased in two parts. After the renovation of the existing building, four aspirants and one Pre-novice was admitted on 17 March 2013. Fr. Peter Kannampuzha OFMConv, the pioneer to Sri Lankan Mission blessed the foundation stone of the new building, on 29 January 2013. The new part of the friary was blessed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell De Silva, the Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo and was inaugurated by Rev. Fr. Marco Tasca, the Minister General, on 6th of February 2014, in the presence of Rev. Fr. Sebastian Pendanathu, the Minister Provincial of the St. Maxmilian Kolbe Province, India. The purpose of the friary is for the fundamental formation of the candidates of Sri Lanka.

The bust that carried the relic of St. Anthony on the occasion of the pilgrimage to Sri Lanka was donated to our Friary together with a relic of St. Anthony by the authorities of the Basilica in Padua in Italy. Minister General officially placed the relic in the Friary Chapel on the day of inauguration.