WHO WE ARE

St. Joseph's Church Kanuwana, located in the suburbs of the city of Ja-Ela is a parish in the Deanery of Tudella in the Archdiocese of Colombo.

(Though several historic documents record a church in Kanuwana even in the 1850s, it's certain that they all stand for present St. Mary's Church Ja-ela rather than St. Joseph's Church Kanuwana since the area now known as Ja-ela had been together as Kanuwana until the canal divided the village into two parts.)

The faithful who dwelt in the area bordering the canal (famous as Ja-Ela), Tudella, and Ekala areas had to seek the support and the spiritual guidance of the Tudella church, which remained as the parish church until the simple beginning of the Kanuwana church in 1950.

A house of worship for Kanuwana became a reality during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Fabian Fernando (OMI), then the Parish Priest of Tudella, when he established a school dedicated to St. Joseph, which had been used even to celebrate the holy mass. Indeed, here it's contrary to the age-old tradition, as often the school had come up owing to the church. In Kanuwan,a the church is a result of the school.

Rev. Fr. Fabian Fernando (omi), with the assistance of the faithful, pioneered the simple school on the 1st of December 1950, and that building was used to celebrate the holy mass monthly, and the first patronal feast was celebrated in 1951.

Kanuwana church slowly developed under the spiritual guidance of the parish priests who looked after the destinies of Kanuwana since it had been a substation of the Tudella parish until the authorities established the Kanuwana parish in 1987, nominating Rev. Fr. D. S. Joseph Perera as the first parish priest. 

It was Rev. Fr. Joseph Perera who is responsible for the present church which was dedicated in 1995. The memories and the legacy of him remain indelible in the history of the parish since he has done a yeoman service as a fitting pioneer for a long journey yet to be made.

His successors continued the journey with utmost dedication and commitment which could provide a remarkable growth in every field in the past 37 years.

Today the church of Kanuwana ministers 3000+ faithful with the guidance of Rev. Fr. Ernest de Mel the 8th parish priest