St. Paul's Milagiriya

Milagiriya, in south-central Colombo, has a rich and diverse history. A dense snake-infested jungle in the early-19th century, it now houses one of the country’s oldest churches. A church was originally built by the Portuguese as a place of worship for Roman Catholics, known as Nossa Senhora dos Milagres—meaning Our Lady of Miracles. The place still retains its Sinhala name, for it once contained a miraculous well, reputed to have cured many of the sick who flocked to drink its water. Later, the British constructed a Greek Basilica-style church at the site—St. Paul's Church of Milagiriya—and when it was consecrated by the Bishop of Colombo E. A. Copleston in 1853, the London Illustrated News carried a sketch of it.Founded in 1887, St. Paul's Girls School Milagiriya enriches her student population with 126 years’ worth of knowledge and essence of the true Paulian spirit. Today over 4000 students nurture under the guidance of the school administration and the alumni to be all round individuals with integrity and grace, willing and able to face challenges and live upto Her motto “Per Aspera Ad Astra” – Through the clouds to the stars.