St. Lucia's Cathedral

The construction did not go to plan, however, with work having to be halted in 1877 due to a lack of funds. The following years saw more problems, with Bishop Silani dying in Rome in 1878, and Fr. Tabarrani leaving Ceylon in 1880 (and dying just two years later in Rome). Nevertheless, May 1880 saw Fr. Bonifiglio Baldoni take charge of the project, the four planned arches being completed by the end of August. Nearly a year later, "at 11.00, the last keystone was driven in place." The work on most of the main portion of the cathedral, despite the many problems in funding, had been completed. The church celebrated "the Great Day", with Bishop Clemente Pagnani (now Vicar Apostolic of Colombo) blessing the nave and the aisles of the new Cathedral and opening it for public worship. The highlight of the day was the first [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Holy Mass]] offered for the benefactors of the cathedral.

The construction did not go to plan, however, with work having to be halted in 1877 due to a lack of funds. The following years saw more problems, with Bishop Silani dying in Rome in 1878, and Fr. Tabarrani leaving Ceylon in 1880 (and dying just two years later in Rome). Nevertheless, May 1880 saw Fr. Bonifiglio Baldoni take charge of the project, the four planned arches being completed by the end of August. Nearly a year later, "at 11.00, the last keystone was driven in place." The work on most of the main portion of the cathedral, despite the many problems in funding, had been completed. The church celebrated "the Great Day", with Bishop Clemente Pagnani (now Vicar Apostolic of Colombo) blessing the nave and the aisles of the new Cathedral and opening it for public worship. The highlight of the day was the first [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Holy Mass]] offered for the benefactors of the cathedral.

Construction was far from done, however, and in 1883 the new Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Bonjean, appointed Fr. Tanganelli to carry on the building of the cathedral. Less than a year later, both men had left Ceylon (Bonjean to Rome, and Tanganelli to China), leaving the project in the hands of Fr. Joseph Mary Louise Boisseau. Boisseau, by 1885, had completed work on the Sanctuary vault and the southern vault, with the final one being completed in December of that year. It would not be until 1902, however, that the last of the work would be completed and the scaffolding removed.

Construction remained incomplete, and in '''1883''' the newly appointed Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Bonjean, assigned Fr. Tanganelli to continue construction of the cathedral. Less than a year later, both men departed Ceylon—Bonjean for Rome and Tanganelli for China—leaving responsibility for the project to Fr. Joseph Mary Louise Boisseau.

By '''1885''', Boisseau had completed the sanctuary vault and the southern vault, with the final vault finished in '''December 1885'''. The remaining work was not fully completed until '''1902''', when the scaffolding was finally removed..

[[Pope Leo XIII]], in his apostolic brief of 1885 conferred a number of privileges on St. Lucia's Cathedral, one of which was it being declared the cathedral church of the 'Vicariate of Colombo’. Bishop Bonjean returned to the island soon after this, bringing with him an [[relic|authentic portion]] of the bones of St. Lucy, which are preserved in the cathedral to this day.

[[Pope Leo XIII]], in his apostolic brief of 1885 conferred a number of privileges on St. Lucia's Cathedral, one of which was it being declared the cathedral church of the 'Vicariate of Colombo’. Bishop Bonjean returned to the island soon after this, bringing with him an [[relic|authentic portion]] of the bones of St. Lucy, which are preserved in the cathedral to this day.