The St. Anthony’s Church or St. Anthony’s Shrine is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kandy in Wahakotte, Sri Lanka. The church is located in Wahakotte, about 7 km from Galewela and is dedicated to Saint Anthony. The church is one of the most sacred pilgrim places for Catholics in Sri Lanka and a national shrine. The Benedictine mission is attached to the church.
Considered to be one of the most important pilgrim sites for catholics in the country, people from all over Sri Lanka come to visit it at least a couple of times every year. It has also been given the title of a national shrine. The light coloured building is crowned with brick red tiled roof and the interiors are beautifully decorated with intricate elements.
This church, which is over 400 years old, is designed according to Italian architecture and is unique in that it was built without using a roof. This place, which is highly revered by Catholic devotees, is the only Catholic church that conducts a procession with the sound of the five-stringed instrument.