Young historian recounts journey of St. Joseph’s
View(s):“Till the Mountains Disappear: The story of St. Joseph’s College”
Reviewed by Dr Gamini Goonetilleke
“The heights of great men reached and kept, were not attained in sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).
St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, established in 1896, will be celebrating 125 years in 2021 as one of the finest Catholic schools in Sri Lanka. It is rather unfortunate that no one attempted to compile the history of the College until now, even though one of the life ambitions of the 10th Rector of the College, the late Rev. Fr. Stanley Abeysekera, was to write such a book.
The late Fr. Stanley retired as Rector of the College after 13 years of distinguished service. In his retirement, he started work on his ambitious project, but unfortunately his efforts were impeded by his loss of vision. He was joined in this effort by young Avishka (now 22), who too had developed a penchant for writing and collecting historical data relevant to the history of the College. Avishka was a great asset to Fr. Stanley and they both worked together in compiling this book. With the untimely demise of Fr. Stanley, it was left to Avishka to continue the good work initiated by the late Rector.
A student of Rev. Frs. Victor Silva, Sylvester Ranasinghe and Travis Gabriel, the 11th, 12th and 13th Rectors, who held aloft firmly the College motto “Knowledge and Virtue” and having studied under a host of dedicated teachers, young Avishka developed a sound and sterling character that would stand him in good stead to write and complete the book.
Writing a historical narrative is no easy task even for a senior historian. It requires a meticulous collection of authentic data from reliable sources rather than anecdotal evidence, although this too can be included if reliable. Avishka, having an in-born talent for collecting historical data, together with his determination to write with precision and bring out the best, has collected the historical data from a host of reliable sources including the Blue & White magazines, reports at annual Prize Days, articles in publications like the ‘Catholic Messenger’ as well as from respected Internet sources. Historical documents relevant to the College, authored by three great historians, namely the late Frs. S.G. Perera SJ, Vito Perniola SJ and W. L. A. Don Peter, have been diligently studied and referred in writing this book. Another eye-catching feature is the inclusion of letters written by priests, past teachers and Old Boys, some more than 100 years old, reminiscing their experiences of the days gone by, and some even of more recent times.
The book begins with the early stages of founding the College by the eminent Archbishop Christopher Bonjean, and later the chronicle of events under eras of all the Rectors. This includes the developments they pioneered in furthering educational, sporting and other school activities that would make a complete student in the true spirit of St Joseph’s- something undefinable!
The author has included the names of those who received the Josephian Awards of Excellence and also the Chief Guests at the annual Prize Days since inception.
Every school, I am sure, would have had its teething problems and so it was for St. Joseph’s College as well, especially during the years of the Second World War when the College had to be shifted to different locations, as well as the challenges faced during the Schools’ Takeover in 1960/61. These historic events also form a part of this very interesting book.
The impressive buildings, in addition to the classrooms such as the Bonjean Hall, the Chapel, the Clock Tower building, the swimming pool and the more recently constructed Sports Auditorium complex are all an important and integral part of St. Joseph’s College. The author has done an incredible job of writing about the origins of these edifices, the Rectors who initiated these projects and everyone else including the Old Boys Unions, both local and overseas, who had contributed magnanimously to make sure that these projects were completed not for glamour alone but also making use of these complexes for other activities that add value to a holistic education.
There is no doubt that there is integrity in the book that shines through its rich content as the young historian recounts the journey of St Joseph’s College, Colombo from its inception to the present time. It is in the best interest of every Josephian, young and old, to read all this and more on the historical account of this great Catholic institution.
(The reviewer is past president – The College of Surgeons
of Sri Lanka)
| Launch of the book | |
 Author AvishkaSenewiratne with Fr. Sylvester Ranasinghe, Bishop Anton Ranjith, Fr. Travis Gabriel and Fr. Victor Silva ‘Till the Mountains Disappear’ authored by Avishka Mario Senewiratne was launched at a simple ceremony on Tuesday, with Bishop Rt. Rev. Anton Ranjith as the Chief Guest. While General Gerry de Silva gave a short review of the book, Prof. John Damascene Abeysekera remembered the late Rev. Dr. Stanley Abeysekera who initiated the project of writing ‘The Story of St. Joseph’s College’ and Dr. Maxi Fernandopulle said a few words about Avishka. The speeches were interspersed by ‘Holy City’ sung by Vindula Perera who was joined by Francis Almeida and ‘Calypso’ by Andrea Melissa. To purchase the book priced at Rs. 2,000 please call: 0766122345 or 0768811605. |