Sri Lanka: St. Anne’s Shrine Celebrates March Feast with Enshrinement of First-Class Relic

The Shrine of St. Anne in Thalawila, one of Sri Lanka’s major Catholic pilgrimage sites, celebrated its annual March feast on March 7–8, 2026, drawing large numbers of clergy, religious, and faithful.

This year’s celebration was marked by the enshrinement of a first-class relic of St. Anne, brought from Naples, Italy, and installed at the shrine on March 7.

The relic was presented for veneration before the evening Vespers service, during which the faithful were blessed with the relic. It was then formally installed in the shrine.

Presiding over the Vespers, Bishop Don Wimal Siri Jayasuriya of Chilaw reflected on the importance of family life and prayer. “The Christian family is called to live in unity and service, strengthened by prayer,” he said.

Msgr. Roberto Lucchini, Charge d’Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Sri Lanka, also addressed the gathering and explained the significance of the relic and the occasion.

On March 8, the feast day, Bishop Jayasuriya presided over the solemn Mass, concelebrated by several bishops and priests. After the Mass, the historic statue of St. Anne was carried in procession in front of the shrine. The celebration concluded with the prayer of dedication to St. Anne and a blessing given by Bishop Michele Autuoro, Auxiliary Bishop of Naples.

Among the bishops present were Bishop Michele Autuoro of Naples, Bishop Norbert Marshall Andradi, OMI, Bishop Emeritus of Anuradhapura; Bishop Winston Fernando, SSS, Bishop Emeritus of Badulla; and Bishop Emmanuel Fernando, Bishop Emeritus of Mannar.

The shrine already houses an earlier relic of St. Anne that was installed in 1870 by Bishop Ernest Christopher Bonjean, OMI, then head of the Northern Vicariate. He brought the relic from Apt, France, during his visit to Europe for the First Vatican Council.

Located on the Kalpitiya Peninsula, the Shrine of St. Anne in Thalawila has been a center of Catholic pilgrimage in Sri Lanka for centuries. The shrine hosts two annual feasts each year, in March and August, attracting pilgrims from across the country.