Corpus Christi in Colombo

Our perceptions of the current state of the Church's liturgy frequently fail to remember the Roman mass's universal reach. We readily assume the state of things in the United States and Western Europe reflects the same trends elsewhere.

In some cases, this may be true, but further exploration unearths places where tradition remained largely mainstream and the Ordinary Form is celebrated with continuity and reverence. While I have no first-hand evidence of ordinary parish life in Sri Lanka, this set of photos from the Archdiocese of Colombo indicate that they have retained many of the traditions we have lost in the West. (Though considering St. Thomas's missionary work is said to have planted several small communities there, and Portuguese evangelization began in the fifteenth century, there have been Christians here long before Columbus even dreamed of sailing to Cipango.)

It is particularly instructive to note that Archbishop Ranjith was once an auxiliary bishop of this particular see, suggesting that he may not be alone in his love of liturgical beauty among his countrymen.

Once again, we at the NLM are always glad to receive news and photos of events in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms. Unforunately, unlike Sir Boyle Roche's mythical bird, we cannot be in more than one place at once, so send us your links if you want to see your own corner of the world covered here!