The Hindu reported that local fishermen, who had built the St Anthony’s Church at Katchatheevu, and the Sivaganga diocese, which used to organise pilgrimage to the islet for its annual festival, were upset that the Jaffna diocese had built a church there without their consent.

“We are hurt that the Jaffna diocese which had built the new church with the help of Sri Lankan Navy, is set to inaugurate the shrine without inviting us,” fishermen leader P Sesu Raja said. The church was built by their forefathers in the 1900s and they had the right over the shrine, he said.

Fatherr L Sagayaraj, priest of Verkodu parish here, quoting his telephonic talk with Fr Antony Jayaranjan, his counterpart in Delft island, said the inaugural ceremony is scheduled at 9.30 am on December 7. Rev Fr Justin Gnanaraj, Bishop of Jaffna diocese, would lead the mass according to Indian media.

“We are upset that the Jaffna diocese, which invited the Sivaganga diocese every year to take part in the St. Anthony’s Church festival, has not invited us for the church inauguration,” he said.

After the second day mass of the church festival on February 21 this year, Rev Fr Amalraj, former Vicar General of Sivaganga diocese, had suggested to the Jaffna diocese that they could jointly build a new church after pulling down the old shrine. But the Jaffna diocese entrusted the task of building the church to the Sri Lankan Navy.

After the foundation stone was laid on May 9, Commander of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, built the church in record five months. Though the inaugural ceremony was scheduled to be held during the Church’s annual festival in February, 2017, the Jaffna diocese has advanced the ceremony as the vice admiral is retiring in December end, Fr Sagayaraj said.

In fact, Ramnad diocese had built the shrine over a century ago and dedicated it to St. Anthony. It was taken over by the Jaffna diocese after India ceded the islet to Lanka in 1974.

Fishermen leaders said the Jaffna diocese and Lankan Navy had built the church to show their supremacy over the islet and urged the State and Center to secure their right over the church.