arpontments: Fathers Leo Cingolani. O.S.B.. Lanfranc Assauw O.S.B., Bonfilius Baldoni.
O.S.B.. to the mission of Kandy extending to Badulla and Wahakotte (Perniola, ibid. p 219, 225)
Mgr. Clement Pagnani, OSB., becomes Vicar Apostolic in December 1879, (Appointed on
11th November 1879 by Pope Leo XIII; Episcopal Ordination at Trichinopoly. Ordaining
Bishop; Mgr. A. Canoz, SJ, Vicar Apostolic of Trichinopoly, assisted by Mgr. J. Bardoux, Vicar
Apostolic of Coimbatore, and by Fr. L. Barbier SJ., Superior of the Madura Mission. Mgr.
Pagnani returned to Colombo on 30th December 1879 and on 5th January 1880 informed the
British Governor Sir J. R. Longden of his appoint. Mgr. Pagnani issued his first pastoral letter
on 12th January 1880.)
Mgr. Clement Pagnani OSB., Vicar Apostolic who was fluent in Sinhala and thus attracted
crowds, left Colombo on Friday 7th January 1881 for Weliwita, Nawagamuwa, Hanwella,
Niripola, Tarala, Awissawella, Ratnapura, Pelmadulla, Haldummulla, Thursday 24th February to
27th, Haputale, and Bandarawela on 28th, arriving at Badulla at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday 1st March,
going in a carriage that come to take him there.
Immediately the new church was blessed and a dialogue sermon followed. Next morning
Mass was celebrated before 300 souls and holy ashes distributed by His Lordship's own hands to
every individual...In the evening...at half past seven there was the dialogue (sermon) in Tamil
by the two Fathers Francis Sales Vadoolison and D.G. Fernando and sermon in Sinhala delivered
in excellent colloquial, eloquent, impassioned and earnest by His Lordship the Bishop...This
morning 24 adults were confirmed...All the Catholics without exception have approached the
Holy Sacraments. The Tamils came in gangs from distant coffee estates, and for them it has
been necessary to give also instructions in Tamil during the retreat. And because they could not
live here long, confirmation had to be given three times to a total number of 118 individuals...
Bishop Pagnani baptized 22 individuals, solemnized seven marriages, and administered the
Lord's Supper to 235 communicants...The Tamil dialogue between Fathers Fernando and
Vadoolison was a source of delightful instruction and entertainment for four nights, and the
sermons in Sinhala by His Lordship the Bishop were beautiful, simple and earnest appeals,
delivered in true apostolic and evangelical spirit. His Lordship left Badulla on the morning of
the 7th in a carriage, arriving at Hattampitiya rest House for break fast and after attending to the
spiritual needs of the few Catholic there, His Lordship set out again on his way and reached
Welimada late in the evening. (Perniola, Vol VI, pp 305-6).
The first available Register of Baptisms at the present St. Mary's Cathedral Office opens
with an entry of a baptism conferred on 13th September 1881. The registration of baptisms and
confirmations conferred before this date could have been recorded in the registers of the then
Southern Vicariate Apostolic of Colombo.
In 1883 Vicariate of Kandy was created and Mgr. Pagnani becomes the Vicar Apostolic of
Kandy which embraces also the Province of Uva with its capital Badulla.
In January 1887 the Vicariate of Kandy was erected into a Bishopric and Mgr. Pagnani
becomes the first Bishop of Kandy.
August 15th 1890: Fr. Don Joseph Rodrigo has been assigned to the mission of Badulla to be
with Fr. D. Reginald Corbet.
December 4th 1891: Fr. J.B. Callet comes to Badulla (to replace Fr. Reginald Corbet who has
left) to be with Fr. Rodrigo.
12th November 1896: Fr. Joseph Rodrigo at Badulla, finds himself in charge of the whole
province of Uva, and tries to build a church at Lunugala dedicated to the Holy Family of
Nazareth.
4th 19 April 1897: Fr. D. Dominic Direckze ordained with two others on 3rd April, began his
apostolic ministry in the mission of Badulla. In May 1898, he is recalled to the monastery (at
Kandy) 30th April, Fr. D. Benedict Perera is sent to the new mission of Bandarawela and in
August, he is sent to Badulla to be with Fr. Rodrigo.
March 1st 1901: Fr. Ildebrand Georgesz was sent to Badulla to be with Fr. Rodrigo and D.
Benedict Perera.
12th September 1901: Frs. D. Hildebrand Georgesz and D. Benedict Perera are entrusted the
mission of Badulla.
15th August 1902: Bishop of Kandy Dr. Clement Pagnani OSB., comes on a pastoral visit to
Bandarawela and Badulla.
February 1905: Fr. D. Benedict Perera leaves Badulla to go to Wahakotte and Fr. Assauw is
transferred from Wahakotte to Badulla; but on 22nd June, he leaves for Italy. And Fr. D. John M.
Berenger is entrusted the mission of Badulla. On 20th June 1907, he is removed from Badulla.
,
19 April, 1912 Pope Pius X appoints Father Bede Beckmeyer, Bishop of Kandy. He is
consecrated on 30th June 1912 at the Cathedral Church of St. Anthony of Kandy.
Fr. D. Anse1m Weerasinghe OSB ordained on 21st December 1918 is appointed as Assistant to
Badulla. (Fr. Anse1m later (in 1938) becomes Abbot.)
5th November 1919: Bishop Bede Beckmeyer, OSB., makes a pastoral visit to Badulla.
Cholera breaks out in Badulla district after he has gone back to Kandy. Out of 19 cases in the
town, 14 were fatal. Out of 29 cases in the district 23 deaths occurred.
Bishop Bernard Regno OSB., succeeded Bishop Bede Beckmeyer in 1939 and on the
resignation of Bishop Regno, Bishop Leo Nanayakkara, OSB., became Bishop of Kandy in 1959.
It was Bishop Leo Nanayakkara who saw to the building of the Church which was to become his
Cathedral. Fr. Farina OSB. started the building operations in the early 1960s when his eye was
damaged due to falling cement entering the pupil of one of his eyes. Thereafter Fathers Edmund
Alex Rajapakse and Richard Fernando handled that work. At the time of Bishop Leo coming to
Badulla, it was Rev. Fr. Paul Perera who was to succeed Bishop Leo as Bishop of Kandy who
was the Parish Priest. Fr. Paul Perera supervised the work of building and saw to it that the iron
girders for the roof over the sanctuary came right into place, Bishop Leo had so planned this
Church as the Cathedral of the future diocese of Badulla.
When Bishop Leo came to Badulla in December 1972 he named Very Rev. Fr. Paul Perera
his Vicar General and had five other priests: Fathers Alex Edmund Rajapakse, who was named
Vicar General and Parish Priest (when Fr. Paul Perera was nominated Bishop of Kandy) with Fr.
Tilak Jayawardena as Assistant, Cajetan Fernando, Parish Priest of Welimada, Angelo Fonseka,
Parish Priest of Bandarawela and Marshall Rajanayagam, Parish Priest of Lunugala. Later Fr.
Tilak Jayawardena was made Parish Priest of Badulla. The mission house of Badulla was
complete but not the modest section that subsequently became Bishop's House. He had to reside
for some time at the mission house of Bandarawela, occupying the room designated for the
Parish Priest. After coming to reside at Badulla, with the cooperation of the Government Agent
and other civic authorities and public figures, he initiated the 'Colony for the rehabilitation of
beggars' at Rideepana, Badulla, which is still there today.
After him his successors have paid special attention to the Cathedral and the Parish of
Badulla and concerned themselves with every aspect of this premier parish of the diocese.
As Parish Priest, Fr. Tilak was succeeded by Fr. Augustine Fernando (February 1978 1985).
Thereafter, Fr. Rajanayagam in October 1985, followed by Fr. Ignatius, Fr. Titus Fonseka, Fr.
Bosco, Fr. Augustine, Fr. Sam Perera. (2004 - )
The Cathedral's large basin of a wooden dome over the sanctuary and the ceiling was a creation of Bishop Leo.
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