Awards presented to artists who have contributed to preserving religious traditions. Sri Lanka’s Catholic leaders have emphasized the need to continue preserving and promoting the Indian Ocean island nation’s Christian cultural heritage and passing it on to future generations.

Bishop Jude Nishantha Silva, chairman of the Catholic National Commission for Mass Media and Social Communications, said many senior clergy made significant contributions in the past, but fewer young people write and engage with media today.

The prelate was speaking at the Dharmaprabhashwara (Illuminator of the Truth) Salutation Awards 2026 in Colombo. The government-established awards honour achievements and contributions in promoting Christian culture and heritage through art, literature, music and writing.

The Department of Christian Religious Affairs and the National Catholic Mass Media Centre organized the event, which drew more than 600 attendees, including priests, nuns, parliamentarians, artists, and schoolchildren. Bishop Silva emphasized the importance of the awards and the shared responsibility “as clergy and laity to nurture a new generation to sustain this mission.”

This year, the Department of Christian Religious Affairs has introduced competitions for church documentary films and for children in Pasam and Lathoni singing – local penitential Lenten hymns – as part of the awards initiative. Chathuri Pinto, the department director, appreciated the young participants for exploring the histories of their respective churches, which she said would help future generations understand, appreciate and preserve their historical and religious heritage. “We identified talented young Christian artists and equipped them with practical skills like researching, planning, singing and filmmaking,” she said.

The young winners received cash prizes and certificates of appreciation. Veteran historian-writer Lerins Peiris, who received this year’s lifetime achievement award, said that a new generation would not emerge without deliberate efforts to nurture it.  He said that the Church must move beyond its clergy-centered approach to partner with the laity and nurture a new generation actively engaged in community life, public forums, and creative learning.

Nissanka Charith, a folk music artist from Kandy, said Catholic communities across the Indian Ocean island nation have distinct traditions of communal singing and religious hymns, with regional variations in folk music, melodies, rhythmic patterns, and instruments that reflect their cultural identities. “With support from the government, the Catholic Church, and the private sector, we can preserve these unique folk hymns as a valuable cultural asset for future generations,” Charith told.

Sathyadeepam Weekly