Saturday, March 22, 2014

Kachchativu festival a good opportunity to build harmony, says Navy Commander

The annual two day St. Antony’s festival on the island of Kachchativu, that brings together pilgrims, mainly from the fisher communities of both India and Sri Lanka, drew to a close last Sunday.

Jaffna’s Vicar General Justin Gnanapragasam conducted holy mass at St Antony’s church.




“We believe that our saint listens to our prayers and conveys them to God. That’s why we came here,’’ said Jesurasa a fisherman from Rameshwaram who was attending the festival with his family.The feast attracted not only pilgrims but also business vendors from both countries, although Indian authorities had warned Indian fisherfolk to refrain from engaging in trade this year. Vendors were seen selling items varying from fancy goods to fabrics and trading in both local and Indian currency in makeshift stalls that lined the path to the Church.

Some pilgrims had brought cooked food while others were seen preparing their meals.

Sri Lanka Navy Commander Vice Admiral Jayantha Colombage commenting on the occasion said that the festival was a bridge of friendship between the people of India and Sri Lanka. “They worship together without any differences. This is a good opportunity to build on mutual trust and understanding,” he said.

“The Sri Lanka Navy has been hosting this festival since the end of the war and this year we worked together with the Army to provide drinking water, electricity and sanitary facilities to the devotees,” the Navy Commander added.

Father James, a parish priest who represented the Indian delegation said 125 priests and 75 nuns participated in the feast. 

Source:http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140323/news/kachchativu-festival-a-good-opportunity-to-build-harmony-says-navy-commander-90173.html

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Annual Katchatheevu feast begins today

The Annual Katchatheevu feast will begin today (Saturday) with the participation of a large number of devotees from India and Sri Lanka. The shores of Katchatheevu islet on the Palk Strait will be opened for Indian Fishermen enabling them to attend the three-day St Antony’s Church festival.
The Sri Lanka Navy has made provisions for the required facilities and security for devotees attending the event. Accommodation, sanitary facilities and drinking water will also be provided by the Sri Lanka Navy. Life saving and medical teams are also expected to be deployed of the benefit for the devotees arriving on the island.
Last year feast saw 2,814 devotees arrived from India, who came in 100 boats, and 2,381 Sri Lankan devotees in 208 boats to attend the St Antony’s Church festivities.  St Antony’s Catholic Shrine on the island was built by an Indian Catholic called Srinivasa Padaiyachi and named after St Antony, patron-saint of seafarers, to whom the feast is dedicated
- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/news-online/item/27027-annual-katchatheevu-feast-begins-today-navy-provides-necessary-facilities-to-pilgrims.html#sthash.z9xw093u.dpuf