St. Lucia's Cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo in Sri Lanka.
It is 46 m (151 ft) tall with 1,695 m2 (18,240 sq ft) of floor area. It was constructed in 1887, and is dedicated to Saint Lucy.
Extract from http://www.stluciascathedral.org/cathedral.htm:
What was the pride and joy of the late 19th and early 20th century Sri Lankan Catholics is today a totally captivating experience to the worshiper or the sightseer. The Cathedral is of distinct Gothic architecture. The facade rests on massive ionic columns and it’s adorned with seven statues. Silhouetted against the sky is the cross on the concrete lantern crowning the dome, the pinnacle of the Cathedral.
The interior of the Cathedral engulfs you immediately. Along the side aisles are ornate larger than life statues of Saints sculptured and painted in minute detail. Many of these statues were installed in 1924 by Rev. Fr. J Milliner who was a gifted artist.
Open confessionals of intricately carved dark wood are also placed along the aisles. On the left, in front of the sanctuary is a unique dark skinned statue of the Madonna called "Our Lady of Kotahena". This statue is taken in procession during the "Month of May" celebrations.
In 1888 Bishop Bonjean brought with him an authentic portion of the bones of St. Lucy and these relics are yet preserved in the Cathedral.
The Episcopal throne was installed in 1897, and it contained the same intricate design as the altar rails. The marble altar installed in 1893 has the relief of the Last Supper etched on it with great detail given to the figures. Exquisite life size statues of the Saints add greater dimension to the aisles and the designed columns are reminiscent of the Renaissance Architecture of Europe. Surmounted behind the main altar is a beautiful larger than life statue of St. Lucy holding up her eyes on the palm of her hand. Two twisted columns containing this altar gives special depth to the statue, while a wooden panel over it emphasises the faith of the community - "Only say the word and I shall be healed".
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