On the Kalpitiya Peninsula stands one of Sri Lanka’s holiest Christian shrines; the Shrine of St.Anne. This shrine which dates back to the 17th century, is considered to be among the oldest and most revered Christian shrines in Sri Lanka and therefore is now one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the island nation.
The Catholics of Sri Lanka began their devotion to St. Anne back in the 17th century with the establishment of this holy shrine, and it has since become one of the holiest religious sites of Sri Lanka. The origin of the St. Anne’s Shrine in Talawila is based on two popular accounts which have been passed down through the generations. One account talks of a Portuguese man who fell asleep where the shrine is presently at, and dreamt of the image of St. Anne at the foot of a coconut tree. Upon waking up he realized that the image he had dreamt of actually was there at the foot of the tree, and thereafter was struck by the “great awakening light” which formed St. Anne herself, who told the man that he must build a church at the site of the holy image. Later the man built the famous Church at Talawila, which houses an identical image as to what the man saw on that holy night. The second account is of a European ship, which was dedicated to St. Anne, washed ashore in Talawila; the captain of the ship placed the image of St. Anne on a tree, and vowed to return and build a church in that area if his business succeeded. Rightly so he prospered and came back to fulfill the vow he made by building a church and enshrining the image.
Every year thousands of devoted Catholics visit this holy and miraculous site, with the annual Feast of St. Anne being held in late July each year. This historic and holy shrine is greatly revered and is a rare Christian miracle, which is revered by many Catholics worldwide.
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