Sri Lanka: The Year of the Family in the Diocese of Chilaw

A journey marked by spiritual and social activities to deepen understanding and unity between spouses and their relationship with their children. The example of a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu experienced by the families of Marriage Encounter in the parish of Puttalam.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - The dioceses of Sri Lanka are planning their religious pilgrimages for the year 2026 according to different spiritual themes. The Diocese of Chilaw is celebrating its Year of the Family this year. In this context, various programmes have been organised, together with spiritual and social activities aimed at developing commitment to God and deepening understanding and unity among family members. Among the stages of this journey, the families of the ‘Marriage Encounter’ of the parish of Puttalam went on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu.

Commenting on this moment, parish priest Fr. Dilanka Nirmal told AsiaNews about the experience of the 25 families who participated. One of the objectives was ‘to bring all the members together, overcoming their hectic and busy lives, to participate together in the liturgy and strengthen unity among the Marriage Encounter families themselves.’ ‘I also wanted to offer these couples and their children a greater awareness of family life: how to live a life of love and fidelity as spouses, as parents and as children. To help them reflect on their own lives. An active nun and a laywoman engaged in social awareness helped us in this,’ added Fr Dilanka.

‘The pilgrimage to Madhu,’ A. P. Ashanti told AsiaNews, ‘was truly a blessing in our lives. We received very valuable formation. Sr. Deepa helped us to sit down as a couple and reflect deeply on our shortcomings and weaknesses, to overcome what needed to be overcome and to orient our lives towards a new path.’

Another member of the group, Roshan Silva, added: ‘We spent this day giving priority to our family. It was wonderful, because in our hectic lives it is a rare opportunity. We are very happy with the knowledge we have gained today. It was a new and valuable experience,’ added Roshan Silva.

‘Unlike our usual visits to Madhu Church, today we experienced something more. It was much more than just a pilgrimage,’ said Ishana, a young woman from a Marriage Encounter family. "We participated in the Divine Liturgy as a family. However, we took part in the formation programme separately. We talked about what we should prioritise during our school years, how to live as children who love and are indispensable to their parents through obedience and listening, and how to refuse to use plastic in order to protect the environment."

All participants expressed their gratitude for this valuable day and expressed their desire to enrich their lives by participating in programmes like this in the future.