Matara, Sri Lanka: Shrine of Our Lady of Matara
The story of Our Lady of Matara:
Located on the Indian Ocean, this shrine to Our Lady dates from sometime in the 18th Century. Little is known about the actual date, but the story goes that some fishermen found a large crate that was floating on the sea. Upon opening the crate they found a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary dry and un-damaged.
The statue is carved from a single piece of wood (ash), and patterned after Portuguese statues of the 17th Century.
About the Shrine of Our Lady of Matara:
Over time devotion grew slowly until the 1940’s, when publicity about the shrine and the many healings attributed to devotion to Our Lady of Matara ,brought thousands to the shrine, especially on the Feast of the Nativity on September 8th. Today, up to 50,000 people visit the Shrine on the Feast Day…not only Catholics but other faiths as well.
Masses are scheduled daily: Sundays at 8:00 a.m.; Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m.; Wed, Thurs & Fri at 6:15 a.m.; (First Fridays at 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.).
Traveling to the Shrine of Our Lady of Matara:
The shrine is about three hours by train from the capital city of Colombo.
Address: Beach Road, Matara, Sri Lanka
GPS coordinates: 5° 56′ 35.6064” N, 80° 33′ 7.1136” E
Tel: +94 041 2 222056
e-mail: info@ourladyofmatara.lk
We are not aware of any official website of the Shrine of Our Lady of Matera in Sri Lanka.
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