Sinhalese in Italy


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Sri Lanka has a history that goes back thousands of years. Among the people who have been on that South Asian island the longest are the Sinhalese. Today the Sinhalese are the majority people, but the Tamils are a close second in terms of population.

In the late 1970s Sinhalese people began to migrate to Italy for employment opportunities as domestic workers. Others worked in call centers or restaurants. In the late 1970s, Roman Catholic Sinhalese arrived in Italy to work in homes for the aged. In the early 1980s others came to Italy to work for Italian entrepreneurs. Most of these people were not expecting to remain in Italy for more than a couple of years. In 1996 the Dini Decree made it easier for Sinhalese workers to bring their families to Italy. At this point the Sinhalese were more likely to settle in this European country.


Where Are they Located?

Most Sinhalese in Italy are located in Lombardia, Milan, Lazio, Rome, and Naples. Those in southern Italy are likely to live in Palermo, Messina, and Catania.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Sinhalese in Italy are primarily doing menial work, so they do not have much money. By working as domestic workers and such, they probably work long hours with little pay. Typically Sinhalese people send their children to English speaking countries for education, and consider the Italian schools to be substandard.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The vast majority of Sinhalese people in Italy are Theravada Buddhists. There are few Buddhist places of worship in Italy, and because of their work life, few Sinhalese people have the time to do much more than home-based Buddhist rituals. The places of Buddhist worship in Italy are usually funded and administered by Japanese Buddhists, so it's possible these places feel foreign to the Sinhalese. The Japanese are not Theravada Buddhists like the Sri Lankan Sinhalese. Two percent of the Sinhalese are either Protestant or Roman Catholic.


What Are Their Needs?

The Sinhalese need opportunities for better education and job opportunities. They need training for higher paying jobs.
They also need to have the chance to respond to the gospel in a practical way.


Prayer Points

Pray for missionaries who will teach the Sinhalese people job skills so they can earn a better living.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to move among the Sinhalese in such a way that they will seek and find the only Savior.
Pray for someone to distribute gospel materials in Sinhala, their language.
Pray for a disciple-making movement among Sinhalese Buddhists in Italy.


Scripture Prayers for the Sinhalese in Italy.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_diaspora#Italy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankans_in_Italy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Italy


Profile Source:   Global Prayer Digest  

People Name General Sinhalese
People Name in Country Sinhalese
Pronunciation sin-uh-LEEZE
Alternate Names Cingalese; Singalese; Singhalese; Sinhala; सिनलीज़
Population this Country 59,000
Population all Countries 400,000
Total Countries 17
Indigenous No
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 14196
ROP3 Code 109305
ROP25 Code 307552
ROP25 Name Sinhalese
Country Italy
Region Europe, Western
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked
Country Italy
Region Europe, Western
Continent Europe
10/40 Window No
Persecution Rank Not ranked

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Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
98.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 1.00 %)
2.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Sinhala (59,000 speakers)
Language Code sin   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Sinhala (59,000 speakers)
Language Code sin   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Sinhala

Primary Language:  Sinhala

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1739-1966)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1776-1991)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1823-2009)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Story of Jesus audio Jesus Film Project
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Sinhala Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Campus Crusade for Christ
General Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Sinhala YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Sinhala YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Sinhala Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Campus Crusade for Christ
Text / Printed Matter Topical Scripture booklets and Bible studies World Missionary Press
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  The Road Provides - Shutterstock  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Profile Source Global Prayer Digest 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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