Church of the Holy Spirit, Vavuniya - Church of Ceylon (Anglican), Diocese of Colombo

The mission was started in July 1872 when Mr. Arulpragasam was sent as a teacher and Catechist to Vavuniya. He got a piece of jungle land from the Government and put up a shed for his residence and a shed for a small school. In the same year he returned to Jaffna and preached in a number of mission Churches appealing to Christians to come over to Vavuniya and pioneer with him. As a result, a few families from the Mission Churches in Jaffna came to Vavuniya and settled down. The school building was the Church from 1872-1901.

Missionary work in Vavuniya was begun and continued by the local Christians of Jaffna and not Europeans. The CMS encouraged the Jaffna Missionary Association to carry on with the work. The early missionaries in the Vanni were the first and only pioneers in education when this area was a jungle infested with Malaria. Schools were established by them in Vavuniya town, in Nellukulam, Ranenthiyankulam, Ottuchuddan, Nedunkerni, Puttukudiyirruppu, Tanniyoothu, Kululamunai, Kokkuthuduwai. After Rev. Arulpragasam Matthias, who pioneered here for 32 years, The Rev. S.S. Somasunderam did great service for the Church and education in the area. He bought 30 acres of paddy land and cultivated it in order to pay the salaries of teachers. He started Agricultural Cooperative credit societies in Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala villages in order to help farmers.

In the late 1970’s many hill country people settled in the area and became cultivators. The Church helped them a great deal in their progress and development. In 1987, the Nellukulam Chapel was opened to serve the villages of Nellukulam, Ganeshapuram, Rasenthirakulam and Komankulam. When the war broke out in June 1990, the Nellukulam Chapel was badly damaged.

Stone laying ceremony- 1895

Dedication-1901

A homely church experience. Very impressed by the lay leadership. The church is currently under renovation. Services are held in the parish hall temporarily.

building look likes dutch design