Wolvendaal Church

The Wolvendaal Church was consecrated in the year 1757 by the Dutch colonisers, so that they could practice their faith during their occupation of Colombo. The church was designed in the Doric style, which was popular during the period. The church still functions, holding Sunday services that are open to the public. A visit to the church is like taking a step back in time to an era when Colombo was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company.

The Kayman’s Gate Bell Tower, which is nearly two kilometres away from the church, was constructed during the Portuguese era. The bell that hangs in the belfry today is believed to have been placed there by the Dutch, who took it from a Portuguese church built in the 16th century in Kotte. An inscription on the bell reads ‘Ave Gratia Plena Dominus Tecum Benadicta Tu In Mulieribus’, which translates to ‘Hail, full of grace the Lord is with thee, blessed are you among women’. At one point in history, the bell was used to summon worshippers for service at Wolvendaal Church.