Cabinet approves to declare Madhu Church in Mannar as sacred area

The Cabinet of ministers approved a proposal presented by President Maithripala Sirisena to declare the Holy Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu in Mannar as a sacred area yesterday, Government Information department said. The Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is a much respected sacred place for the Catholics and Catholics as well as Buddhists and Hindus flock to the holy shrine to pay homage.

Local pilgrims and many local and foreign tourists visit the 400 year old shrine during the annual Madhu feast, as well as all year around.

The Shrine also attracts Buddhists and Hindus devotees for veneration. Subject to ravages of the ethnic war dire need for constructive rehabilitation was becoming very evident due to immense hardship faced by the thousands of devotees making pilgrimage to the Shrine.

Madhu Shrine becomes the first Catholic Shrine to be declared a Sacred Area in the country. For more than two decades, in the midst of the conflict and mass displacement, Madhu Shrine also served as a place of refuge for all affected people. Madhu Shrine has been recognised locally and internationally as a “safe haven” and “place of refuge” for people fleeing in the face of war and destruction.

The area where the Holy Shrine is located was in a state of neglect for some time due to the war.Infrastructure and other facilities were not developed properly because of war and with the declaration of the region as a sacred area a major development drive is to be launched to improve infrastructure and other facilities in the area.