Sunday Times 2
Pride of Wennappuwa, the Little Bethlehem
Wennappuwa, one of the predominantly Catholic towns in the country and the Catholic paradise of Chilaw Diocese, celebrates the 140th anniversary of St Joseph’s Church on May 2. The mighty church, the symbol of our proud identity and historic heritage, stands in full majesty and dignity facing the Chilaw-Negombo main road in the heart of Wennappuwa. A mighty church is a unique feature in every village and town in the coastal belt. Such colossal constructions speak volumes about the commitment and selflessness of the Foreign Missionaries who sacrificed their wealth, honest sweat and blood in their mission. Let this be a sincere tribute to such devout missionaries, especially to Very Rev Fr Constant Chounavel (OMI), a French Missionary; the Founder of St Joseph’s Church, Wennappuwa.
Origin of Wennappuwa
According to ‘the Choolavansaya (pp 97), the inception of the village of Wennappuwa, which was originally called ‘Wenniarpura’ or ‘Wenupura’, runs back 860 years to the time King Parakramabahu (1153-1886 AD) ruled in Anuradhapura. Its original settlers were paddy farmers and they settled down in the village ‘Gangoda’ close to the village lake.
As per the records of the late Scholar Bishop Edmond Peiris (the first Bishop of Chilaw Diocese), there had been Catholics in 1600 AD in Wennappuwa. Catholics who had been baptized by the Jesuit Priests had protected the Catholics of the neighbouring villages during the Dutch upheaval. Rev Fr Joseph Menesus, the assistant priest of St Joseph Vaz, used to walk 80 miles from Puttalam to Colombo in propagating the religion and enhancing the spirituality of the flock. We can imagine the difficulties these priests had encountered in their mission. Our ancestors with all the hardships nourished the flock, inculcated Christian values in them and gifted the faithful with deep faith. Very Rev Fr Chounavel (OMI), who was fond of Wennappuwa and requested to bury his mortal remains in the church, would weep if he learns what has happened to the deep faith of the faithful and how and why the number of his flock is declining in large numbers day by day.
Kurusa Thotupola
Hamilton Lake or the Dutch Lake that runs via Wennappuwa was the main mode of transport in the olden days. Weary travellers used to stop in Wennappuwa, where there is a small port, for days to refresh themselves during their long journey by canoes. People, who knew about the priests’ sailing, had erected a cross at the port to indicate that there were Catholic faithful in the village who needed spiritual guidance. St Joseph Vaz and a Veteran Historian Very Rev Fr Jacome Gonzalves who used to travel from Puttalam to Colombo have stepped on the land of Wennappuwa from Kurusa Thotopola and have met the people’s spiritual needs a number of times.
Origin of the Wennappuwa Parish
Very Rev Fr Chounavel (OMI), the first Parish Priest of Wennappuwa, visited Wennappuwa in 1861 and wished to demolish the small church made of wattle and daub near Kurusa Thotupola, Gangoda to construct a new church at the present location because by that time the Colombo Puttalam road had been demarcated. He believed this hallowed construction should be given a prominent place in the village. By that time there had been 300 families and all of them were Catholics. He had foreseen the dire need of a large church to accommodate the growing population.
When reading the annals of the church history we marvelled at the simple yet strong faith the villagers had and how the flock was guided towards deep rooted faith. The French missionaries were not only concerned about the physical development of the villages but also the spiritual development of the villagers while gifting the flock with deep rooted faith. They dedicated their time, energy and sacrificed their wealth for their genuine mission. Such a massive construction within 18 years only with the human labour is unexplainable and this is a living example of faith and God’s intervention.
Constant Chounavel (GA)
The founder
Very Rev Fr. Chounavel (OMI), a scholar and an author who was well versed in Sinhala and Tamil, was the loving and caring shepherd of the flock of Wennappuwa for 20 years before he was called to eternal rest. He was very fond of Wennappuwa and affectionately called Wennappuwa ‘Juse Kotuwa’ ‘The Stable of St. Joseph’ which means ‘Little Bethlehem.’ He was a composer of many Sinhala hymns. He was loved and respected very much and the villagers contributed immensely for the construction of the church.
The foundation stone of the church was laid by Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Semaria (OMI), Bishop of Jaffna in 1863. During the time of this construction Wennappuwa belonged to the Jaffna Diocese. The Founder, fondly known as ‘Sudu Swami’ (fair priest) and “Ingineru Swami’ (engineering priest), toiled tirelessly rubbing the shoulders with his flock day and night. The villagers who noticed his genuine commitment and honest contribution began to play their part best to realise the dream of all. With the choicest blessings of God, the construction was completed and was blessed and consecrated on May 07, 1881 by Jaffna’s Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Andrew Malison (OMI).
Additional constructions
With the assistance of the parishioners, the Parish Priests who shepherded the flock introduced some important features to the main church. Very Rev. Fr. Alexius Seru (OMI), (1935-1937) a lover of music, constructed a loft for the church choir and renovated the altar area.
The historic belfry is a commendable achievement during the tenure of Very Rev. Fr. Basil Fonseka (1949-1954). The three massive bells that weigh 425 kg, 380 kg, and 193 kg were installed in 1953.
To accommodate the growing population, the expansion of the church was an urgent necessity. The left wing was constructed under the guidance of Very Rev. Fr. Theodor Perera (1954-1959). The faithful were gifted with pews during the tenure of Very Rev. Fr. S. Don Marceline (1965-1969). The church pavilion was constructed for the centenary celebration in 1980 under the guidance of Very Rev. Fr. Alex Dasanayake (1976-1981). Under the directions of Rev. Fr. Eric Constant Fernando, a complete renovation was done and the left wing was expanded in 2017.
St. Joseph’s historic statue
Rev. Fr. Chounavel, a talented sculptor directed one of his talented students, the brother of Saradiel, well known as ‘Soora Saradiel of Uthuwan Kanda or Robin Hood of Uthwan Kanda’, to sculpture the historic mighty statue of St. Joseph to be enshrined on the top of the front facade of the church. This exclusively crafted statue speaks volumes for his piety, chastity and staunch faith in God. This statue invites us to ‘Be vigilant in any plague. Be strong in faith and in God. Do anything for the greater glory of God and for the good of others. May my love in Christ be with you! (Quote from the centenary souvenir message sent by Late Bishop Edmond Peiris.)
Treasures of Wennappuwa
We are blessed with the religious inspiration and our three main schools; St. Joseph Vaz College, Holy Family Balika Maha Vidyalaya and Martin de Pores Vidyalaya. The Holy Family Sisters, Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I) priests, Franciscan priests and Benedictine Sisters are very supportive in the spiritual enrichment of the faithful.
The Year of St. Joseph
It is a coincidence that the Holy Church has declared this year as ‘the Year of St. Joseph.’ St Joseph is a silent yet a powerful saint whom God chose to be the Foster Father of the Word made Flesh and the comforter of Our Lady. Rev. Fr. Anton Ranjith, the present Parish Priest with the support of the Parishioners has installed a beautiful statue of ‘Dreaming St. Joseph’ in the right wing of the church. Wennappuwa; the largest parish in the Diocese of Chilaw was split into three parishes namely Wennappuwa, Dummaladeniya and Ulhitiyawa in 1980s as a result of the increasing Catholic population. Today the Wennappuwa parish with about 3000 families praises the Lord whole heartedly for His choicest blessings and the blessings showered upon us through the intercession of St. Joseph.
Long standing: St. Joseph’s Church, Wennappuwa