The All Saints Church in Hulftsdorp, Colombo, was built during the British colonial era in the mid nineteenth century. Fred Medis, a historian says, “The All Saints Church was previously a seminary for the training of priests for the Church. During British times in 1815 the Anglicans held services at All Saints Church. During the Dutch period the Wolfendhal Church located close by was patronised by the Reformists.”
The foundation stone for All Saints Church was laid on June 21, 1860. It was laid by Governor Sir Henry Ward. The service was conducted by the first Bishop of Colombo, the Rev. James Chapman. The building itself was in the shape of a cross. The upright spire of the Church showed that it was the highest building in Colombo at the time and for many years it remained that way. It was visible for a long distance out at sea. Ships at sea could have a view of the location here. The building was completed in five years.
There was a priest named Canon Dias who preached in this Church. Families of the Mudaliyars worshipped in this Church. The structure was designed by the architect J.F. Churchill. It was a Church in the Anglican tradition built in accordance with Gothic architectural style. It was a Church that was built to resemble an English Church.
Mevan Pieris, a parishioner of All Saints Church says, “At that time there was a need to build a Church for the Sinhalese community to worship in. The powerful people at the time, the Sinhalese Mudaliyars led by Kuruwe Mudaliyar, John Louis Pieris, built and consecrated the Church in 1865. That was the origin of the Church which was built for the Sinhalese to worship because they had no convenient place to worship in.
So they built a Church to conduct their services in Sinhalese and worship. Now the Church is more than 150 years and the 150th anniversary was celebrated in 2015.”
“The Church was built under a trust given by the British. The Church is a place of Protestant worship in the Anglican faith. The Anglican community believing in the Anglican doctrine was able to worship there. It stands as a historic monument for the faith of Jesus Christ. It is a historic Church. All Saints Church is the only Church where the administration is done by an independent set of trustees.”
Peiris also says that the All Saints Church has unique architectural features. He explains, “The Church is designed in the form of a crucifix, in the form of the cross. There are two side wings and the main body has a huge tall spire. It is the only church in Colombo that has a spire reaching to the skies. The Church has one of the finest stained glass windows anywhere in the world. The stained glass windows were brought from England by Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike in the ship that he was travelling from England to Sri Lanka. On the left there is another stained glass window with Jesus Christ with the Chalice which is a gift given by my own father to the Church.”
Pieris recalls, “I have been worshipping there from my childhood days with my parents and I have served as a trustee of the Church for 25 long years. At that time when I was a child the priest was Rev. William Jayasekara. Most of my relatives and family members worshipped in this Church.”
Pieris says the famous people who worshipped at the Church were the Mudaliyars of the period such as Ernest De Saram, John Perera, Sir Solomon Dias, the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, S.C. Obeysekara, Forrester Obeysekara and James De Alwis. He says, “There are no plans for future renovations of the Church, because there are no administrators at the moment. But the Church needs renovation. The roof and other structures have to be renovated.”
The current congregation consists of the faithful mostly from Colombo. The priest is allocated by the Bishop of Colombo. It was always an independent Church where the Bishop and the Clergy had no administrative control of the Church.
Pictures by Thushara Fernando and Roshan Pitipana