Sri Lankan Bishop: Christian Artists Are Missionaries Who Carry the Gospel Through Art

Christian artists who use literature, visual arts, music, film, and other creative expressions to communicate the Gospel also serve as missionaries, Bishop Jude Nishantha of Badulla said at an awards ceremony in Colombo. 

“Artists who carry the light of the Gospel through the medium of art are also missionaries,” said Bishop Nishantha, who was the chief guest at the sixth edition of the Dharmaprabashwara tribute ceremony on November 6.

The event, organized by Sri Lanka’s Department of Christian Religious Affairs, was held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

Addressing the gathering, Bishop Nishantha emphasized the Church’s appreciation and encouragement of the contribution of literature, art, and communication to its mission.

He pointed to the establishment of commissions for social communications at the Vatican and in countries around the world as evidence of the Catholic Church’s recognition of the importance of these fields.

The ceremony honored 40 Christian artists working across 16 creative disciplines for their contributions to literature and the arts.

The annual tribute aims to recognize artists who help preserve Sri Lanka’s artistic, cultural, and religious heritage and transmit it to future generations.

The event also featured the presentation of prizes and certificates to winners of the National Psalm Singing Competition and a documentary film competition on Christian churches in Sri Lanka.

Organized by the Department of Christian Religious Affairs, both competitions were conducted islandwide and involved participants from the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations.

Bishop Nishantha, chairman of the National Catholic Social Communications Commission, presided over the ceremony.

Among those attending were Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake, Ministry of Cultural Affairs Secretary Prince Senadheera, Catholic and other Christian clergy and religious, government officials, and artists.

The ceremony highlighted the contribution of Christian artists to preserving religious and cultural traditions while using creative expression to communicate the Gospel and engage wider society.