Sri Lanka, Sept. 11 -- Prayer and faith are key elements of the Christian faith. This magnificent Catholic edifice reflects years of sacrifice, perseverance, a jubilant visit by the Pope and the overcoming of an air raid during the Second World War.

For more than a century, Kotahena has been a predominantly Catholic town uniting Sri Lankans of all religions. As we look back this area covering the Municipal Ward of Colombo 13 was once a quiet village in the 17th century. It was somewhere in 1760 that the zealous clergy of the Oratorian Order came to Ceylon to propagate their gospel and decided to build a small chapel. It is recorded that the first chapel was merely a hut, but people came to seek God's blessings. By 1779, the Catholics of ...