150 years since 1865

St. Benedict’s: How the ‘holy rebels’ started it all

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Felix Dias traces the 150-year saga of the pioneering Catholic school at Kotahena

A heroic tale of Catholic Missionary love and labour unfolds in the past 150 years of St Benedict’s College. If one counts the preceding 26 years of its existence in the little English School at Wolvendhal Street under its colonial name of ‘The Roman Catholic Seminary’, St Benedict’s is the first Catholic English school in the island.

The school at Wolvendhal was managed by the Oratorian Fathers. Three Irish Principals Lennon, Doiley and O’Connel and two Ceylonese heads, Don Domingo Wijesinghe and Francis Sales were in charge till the school moved to Kotahena in 1865 and became St. Benedict’s College under the Sylvestro- Benedictine monks.

How providentially the De La Salle Brothers came to St Benedict’s is worth relating. In 1865, Bishop Sillani, the Apostolic Vicar of Colombo had completed a monastery for the Sylvestro- Benedictine monks in Kotahena and in December that year, three De La Salle Brothers on their way to Europe from Mangalore disembarked at Galle and visited Colombo. Bishop Sellani seized his chance and prevailed upon them to stay in Colombo and take charge of the college. They agreed without any reference to their superiors in Europe. The College under the three ‘Holy Rebels’ Bro. Hidulphus (Director), Daniel and Leo were given the monastery for their residence and classrooms. This building now houses the Brothers Quarters and the Cathedral Parish Hall.

The official take-over of St. Benedict’s College came about on April 23, 1868 under Bro. Pastoris, Provincial Visitor. A German Brother Modeste Marie (1868 – 1875) was the first Director of the College. His group of Brothers made a vigorous start with 200 pupils and seven classes and in their very first year impressed the Government officials and the Central School Commission. General Hodgsen, who made the first inspection expressed his ‘unqualified satisfaction at so complete a success in so short a time’. Bro Modeste conducted the first prize-giving, inaugurated a Debating Club, and introduced Art and Modern Languages

Things moved fast and the Brothers Gabriel (1880 -1887) and Maurice (1887 – 1889) saw the college pioneer commercial education, the first school to introduce this stream. With the number of students increasing, new buildings were erected at the present site, an unused graveyard, to accommodate them.

However, there was a knotty problem that dogged the education given by the Brothers. They did not teach classics, being forbidden by the Rules of 1717 of their Founder John Baptist De La Salle, who feared that he would lose his Brothers to priesthood, if they became proficient in Latin. But there was a need for a school in Colombo that taught classics. The answer was the start of St. Joseph’s College, which Archbishop Bonjean initially contemplated as a branch institution under the Oblate Fathers. The Latin problem was eventually resolved much later in 1923, when the Brothers were allowed to teach the classics.

Arts and Science prospered in the early years of the 20th Century and the pupils’ work reached such a standard so as to merit an invitation to a place at the Ceylon Court in the famous Paris Exhibition in 1900. They also exhibited their work at St Louis and London Industrial Exhibitions.

The first three decades of the new century under Directors Christian, Camillus, Cyprian and Bolcan could be termed the school’s golden era for academic results for science scholarships, exhibitions and Hewavitharana Mathematics Prizes. In fact, St Benedict’s became known as ‘Home for Science & Mathematics’. The Roll of Honour included Gregory Weeramantry, U. D. R. Caspersz and the prodigious Peter A. Pillai, who was reputed to be one of the finest brains in the British Empire. In fact, at the prize-giving in 1920, the Colonial Secretary Sir Graeme Thomson in his speech stated, ‘Mr Pillai will need a bullock cart to carry away all his prizes’. After Cambridge, where he obtained his first PhD, he decided to enter the priesthood and after his doctorate in Divinity in Rome, he returned to Sri Lanka to become the first Ceylonese Rector of St Joseph’s College. He served St Joseph’s for over 20 years and also started the Aquinas University College, which is the only Catholic University in Sri Lanka.

The erudite Brother Wulton James (1921 – 1923), was a great visionary, who already in 1922, advocated vocational and agricultural education and also the wider use of the vernacular, long before it was thought of by the governments. Brother Luke (1931 – 1939 & 1943 – 1947), an Old Benedictine and elder brother of Fr. Peter Pillai, the first local Director of St Benedict’s College was a strict disciplinarian. He adorned his alma mater with a three-storey block to house the boarders and the Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories and a lecture hall, which were the envy of other schools and even the University. Under his vigilant eyes there was born out of the Bloemendhal marshes a magnificent playground, which was initially ready for use by 1940, but taken over soon thereafter by the Royal Navy with World War II. His first seven-year stint was termed ‘seven years of Plenty’ and he is widely regarded as probably the greatest Director of the College.

The war years were very painful seeing the exodus of students and Kotahena residents. The unenviable task of finding alternative places for the College fell on Brother Hugh Farringdon (1942 – 1943), who decided to open two branches, one at Veyangoda and the other at Wattala. The Wattala branch later became St Anthony’s College. The regrouping and rebuilding after the War fell on Brother Luke in his second term and the Englishman Brother Austin. The playground also had to be redone and was completed in time for the 1950 cricket season.

Brother Oliver (1951 – 1955) gave the College another 3-storey structure with a new hall on the third floor. Brother Alban (1956 – 1958) who came to St Benedict’s after building St Anne’s, Kurunegala into a top-grade school, was a great lover of sports in addition to his other abilities. He was overjoyed to see St. Benedict’s becoming the All Island Cricket Champions after 40 years in 1957 under L. P. Rayen. He built an up-to-date pavilion and laid turf pitches, which were available only to a very few schools at that time.

To steer St Benedict’s through probably its most critical period, there was Frenchman Brother Athanatius. He was at the helm during the Schools Take-Over in 1961. He rallied round him the loyal alumni and students, the parents and friends of the College and decided to run St Benedict’s as a private non-fee levying school. He was succeeded by the genial Brother Lawrence (1962 – 1964), whose love for his alma mater egged him on to maintain its high standards.

To youthful Brother Flavian (1965 -1968) fell the duty of guiding the College during her Centenary year. With his liberal outlook he increased staff and student participation in the administration. The Centenary celebrations were held on a grand scale with Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake presiding at the prize-giving.

Under Brother Benildus (1974 – 1983), the school achieved financial stability, while the much revered Brother Alexander (1984 – 1989) brought back the Old Boys of 1950s and 1960s vintage, including the Overseas Bens, in large numbers, to support the school. Several branches of the OBU were formed in main cities in Australia, U.K, Canada and United States.

The 125th anniversary was celebrated in 1990 with President R. Premadasa opening the Luke Memorial building, during the tenure of Brother Philip. The building boom which started under Brother Alexander continued under all succeeding Directors. The school now has new facilities in both the Primary and Upper school including three computer laboratories, more classrooms, and library space, a completely revamped playground with an efficient drainage system, a modern swimming pool, new basketball courts etc.

The tenure of Brother Granville (2003 – 2012) was also fruitful with good academic achievements and an upsurge in sports all round. The College, for the first time in its history won the All Island Schools Athletics Championship in 2007. The good work started by Brother Granville is being continued by the present Director Brother Janaka, with Bens excelling in athletics. Just last week St Benedict’s finished Overall runners up in the Senior Sir John Tarbet public school’s athletic meet, breaking four long standing records, a performance never seen in its school’s history.

In additional to the many great Directors, there were several other Brothers, who toiled hard for the students of St Benedict’s. The most loved among them undoubtedly was Brother James from Burma. He provided spiritual guidance to students and trained hundreds to be altar servers with a number of them later becoming Bishops and priests. Brother Francis from India prepared thousands of primary students for First Holy Communion and deservedly a 4-storey new block in the primary is named after him.

Brothers Mathias and Modestus were more like fathers to many boarders. Brother Theodoret was the Dean of the Faculty of Science, during whose time St Benedict’s produced a great many doctors, engineers and scientists. In an earlier era Pro Director Brother Cassian was the right hand man of the great Brother Christian, who in addition to teaching, planned and supervised the construction of the iconic Clock Tower Building. One must also never forget young Brother Edward, who was like a breath of fresh air with his song request show during the interval and the launch of ‘Our Own Shows’ in the sixties. This ‘Our Own Show’ was re-enacted in June 2015 to a packed audience at the BMICH with an absolutely brilliant display of vocal talent and strong performances on the instruments, the whole show being of international standard.

There were also hundreds of lay teachers, too numerous to name, who gave their lives’ services to mould the students of St Benedict’s.

The contribution made by St Benedict’s to the Catholic Church and Catholic education is immeasurable. It gave the Church its first Ceylonese Bishop in Dr. Bede Beckmeyer, the first Indian Bishop of Latin Rite, Dr. Tiburtius Roche, the first Ceylonese Bishop of Jaffna, Dr. Emilianus Pillai (the younger brother of Father Peter Pillai) and Brother Luke and two current bishops Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Oswald Gomis and Auxiliary Bishop Dr. Emmanuel Fernando.

The Lasallian education which started at St Benedict’s spread its wings all over the island with sister schools coming up in all parts of the country, and so thereafter, left its mark on the Catholic Church with seven of the 11 Bishops of Sri Lanka at present being products of Lasallian Schools. It also provided Directors for all Lasallian and other Catholic Schools, with four of St Peter’s Rectors being Old Benedictines including its first Rector Fr. D.J. Nicholas Perera who served for over 20 years and present Rector Fr. Trevor Martin.

In the fields of science, medicine, engineering, law, academia, business, architecture, arts, media, advertising etc, St Benedict’s stands out. The Old Boys Union was founded in 1904 by two of Ceylon’s most illustrious sons, Sir Thomas De Sampayo, the first Ceylonese Acting Chief Justice and Sir Marcus Fernando, the first Ceylonese to obtain a Doctor of Medicine Degree (M. D.) of the University of London. Among the Benedictine elite are Prof P. B. Fernando, First Professor of Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ceylon, Prof A. W. Mailvaganam, first Professor of Physics, Dr A. W. R. Joachim, first Ceylonese Director of Agriculture, Prof A. Kandiah, first Ceylonese to obtain the Doctor of Science (DSc) degree, Dr C. V. S. Corea, Father of Homeopathy in Sri Lanka, Dr A. N. S. Kulasinghe, renowned engineer and innovator, who was the first Chairman of Sri Lanka State Engineering Corporation, Prof. Amirtharajah Appiah, world authority in Environment Engineering, Architect Prof. Lakshman Alwis, Prof. Nihal Amarasinghe, development banker and civil servant, Dr. Oswald Fernando, kidney transplant surgeon, senior Engineer Dr. Michael Joachim, Chairman, Sri Lanka State Engineering Corporation, Eng. John N. L. C. Fernando, pioneer IT professional in Sri Lanka who introduced computer technology to students of St Benedict’s way back in the early 1980s. Dr. Rohan H. Phillips, Chief Engineer McDonalds Worldwide, Service Commanders Air Chief Marshal Dick C. Perera, Inspector General of Police Herbert Weerasinghe, former Army Commander General Cecil Waidyratne, V. A. Sugathadasa, first Minister of Sports, Speaker Stanley Tillekeratne, Advertising great Reggie Candappa, newspaper editors Felix Goonawardena (Times of Ceylon), Clarence Fernando (Daily News), Lasantha Wickramatunge (Sunday Leader), E. C. B. Wijesinghe (Sun) who was also the legendary stage actor well known for his roles in ‘He Comes from Jaffna’, ‘Well Mudaliyar’, ‘The Dowry Hunter’ etc.

Sinhala cinema has also been enriched by Old Benedictines – the names of Vijaya Kumaranatunga, Ravindra Randeniya and Robin Fernando come to mind. Leading entrepreneurs like Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner, Hubert A. De Silva, Herbert Cooray, K. C. Selvanathan, founders of large business conglomerates’ and bankers including Edgar Gunatunge and heads of many private and public sector institutions and several ministries are proud to call themselves Old Bens. Last but not least world renowned Buddhist monks Most Venerable Narada Thera and Most Venerable Soma Thera are proud products of St Benedict’s College.

Any description of St Benedict’s is incomplete without mentioning that groundsman par excellence Rogus Perera, who shed more sweat for the College than any other employee. Rogus was the ground boy for 56 years and his aim was to provide the best playing conditions for the students.

(The writer is a former cricket captain of St. Benedict’s)