Annual feast of St. Anthony's National Shrine, Wahacotte

The annual feast of St. Anthony's National Shrine, Wahacotte will be celebrated on June 16 and 17, presided over by the Bishop of Kandy, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Vianney Fernando. While the vespers will be held at 7 p.m. on the 16th, the festive high mass will start at 8.30 a.m. on June 17. The low masses will be held in English at 5.30 a.m.and in Tamil at 6.30 a.m.

With a population of about 5500, Wahacotte parish is the largest unit in the Catholic Diocese of Kandy. Lying in a drought prone area, the people face enormous hardships due to insufficient water for both irrigation and domestic purposes. St. Anthony is their patron saint whose help and protection is sought during the annual feast held in his honour.

Christians and non-Christians around the world acknowledge receiving favours from St. Anthony. Wahacotte is considered a pilgrim centre for it enshrines a miraculous statue of St. Anthony of Padua (Italy) brought by the first Christian settlers. Other studies indicate that the statue of the saint along with an ivory statue of the Virgin Mary, a statue of St. Michael and a black ebony cross were given to the village by the king of Kandy in fear of divine retribution during the persecution of Christians in the mid 1700s.

The people of Wahacotte continue to seek the saint's help, especially in times of trouble. At the shrine are also ancient handwritten prayers and hymns that members of the parish recite to invoke his blessings.