Millions of Sri Lankans flocked to the Galle Face Green in Colombo Wednesday morning to hear Pope Francis delivering the Holy Mass and canonizing Joseph Vaz, Sri Lanka's first saint.
A special bus and train services were in operation to bring the devotees to the capital from far away places in the island.
A special security plan was implemented in the capital city during the morning mass with the deployment of over 20,000 police officers.
The Pope canonized Joseph Vaz, the 17th Century missionary from Goa at the sea-front service, reports the Lanka Page web site.
Today's canonisation of Vaz ends a 300-year-long campaign to recognise the sanctity of an Indian-born missionary who was captured as a suspected spy after he crept onto the tropical island in disguise.
Joseph Vaz was born in Goa in 1651. He travelled south at the age of 36, dressed as a poor labourer, to a country then known as Ceylon after hearing about the persecution of Catholics by the Dutch.
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Catholics make up about seven percent of Sri Lanka's population, while 10 times as many follow Buddhism.
On Tuesday, Pope Francis said it was his wish is to see Sri Lanka become a country that honors human rights and brings about the religious and political reconciliation among its communities.
Speaking at Colombo International Airport soon after his arrival, he called for days of "friendship, dialogue and solidarity" in the island nation.
The Pope is on a three-day visit to the island-nation. He was received by President Maithripala Sirisena and the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcom Ranjith.
He was given a tri-forces guard of honor and welcomed with traditional Sinhalese and Tamil dances. A children's choir sang a welcome song in all languages of Sri Lanka as well as in Italian.
The Pope described Sri Lanka as an island known for its warmth, rich cultural diversities and religious traditions.
Welcoming the Pope, President Sirisena said it was a very special occasion for him to welcome the Pope to the country three days after elected as the president and he was looking forward to enhance the ties with the Vatican and receive the blessings from the Pope to bring the reconciliation the country needs.
The Pope moves on to the Philippines on Thursday as part of a week-long tour, his second trip to Asia, to shore up the church's presence in developing nations.
Pope Francis will leave this afternoon by helicopter for Madhu Church to hold a mass and deliver a speech at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary at Madhu.