Sunday Times 2
An alternative lifestyle that brings joyful outcomes
View(s):- Third anniversary of the death of Fr. Oscar Abayaratne
By Sureshnie Dissanayake
As we commemorated the third death anniversary of Rev Father Siri Oscar Abayaratne on November 4, it is apt to reminisce about some of the landmarks of the church in relation to the Catholic renewal movement in Sri Lanka.
As people travelled far and wide, their faiths travelled too influencing nations with diverse religious traditions.
Especially, Christianity with its missionary outlook spread to many parts of the world with traditions that are associated with Christianity and of the country of origin. Therefore, in the Far East, Christianity spread with a Western, flavour because of the colonial influence.
However in the post-independence era, Father Oscar was an instrument to find the balance of the essence of Christianity within the context of Sri Lanka.
By this time the Catholic Church too was opening itself in prayer through the Second Vatican Council sessions from 1962 to 1965 to direct the life of the church in the 20th Century and beyond. The principal task of this Ecumenical Council was to be concerned with the “modernisation of the church after 20 centuries of life”.
From his first appointment to the Parish in Pitipana in 1958, Father Oscar began his journey to serve the Lord in different Parishes. Through Parish life he was exposed to the differences in living environments, conflicts personal and social unique to each locality and parish community in Sri Lanka.
His appointment to Welihena Church in the Palagathure Parish in 1961 could be considered key to the missions Fr Oscar was later assigned with youth and students. While he was serving in the Church at Welihena, for the very first time in Sri Lanka, a Mass was held in Sinhala at the student Rally of the Dioceses of Negombo and Katana. This was not yet the adopted norm in the church although it was included in the discussion for the Second Vatican reforms. Cardinal Thomas Cooray with His spiritual wisdom, did not ban Fr Oscar from holding mass in Sinhala, but advised him to contain holding masses in Sinhala only with his small groups.
His appointments to parishes enabled him to work with youth and students closely. Therefore, in January 1961 he was relieved from parish work to take up the appointment of the Youth Apostolate in the Diocese of Negombo and Katana and later in 1967 in the Diocese of Colombo.
During this period, he interacted with youth from diverse backgrounds with their political, economic and social backgrounds. He was also involved with their livelihood trials. All the time he was looking for ways to upscale their lifestyles and support them to overcome complex social and economic issues they were facing with different models that would empower them to think differently. One such model was the Cardijin model.
In and through all his missionary work among the youth, his focus was still Christ. Cardinal Thomas Cooray, with his evangelical Zeal, recognised the importance of the work Fr Oscar was doing among youth and he became a silent (passive voice of encouragement). Priests in different parishes too wanted Fr Oscar to introduce some of the programmes for youth in their parishes.
While the work of the Youth apostolate was catching momentum, Fr Oscar was in crisis within himself. He shared his turmoil with Cardinal Thomas Cooray and requested for a spiritual rest. He was first sent to Rome in 1971. After completing the retreat, when he was scheduled to return home, Rev Fr Valerian Godet who was in charge of the retreat was convinced that Fr Oscar had not received the perceived results after the retreat. Therefore, he was given an address to visit a family in Surrey, UK.
He returned from Europe with an exposure to the charismatic way of life with a lay family and with a deep thirst to be a good priest. On his arrival at the airport he confronted an unexpected situation. Some of the youth in the Youth Apostolate were involved in the 1971 insurrection and he was summoned to the fourth floor of the CID for interrogation. He proceeded to go to the CID with a firm conviction that the Holy Spirit is with him because he was prompted with a word of consolation from the Gospel of Luke 21:15. These were early signs of his anointing directing Fr Oscar’s path towards initiating the Charismatic movement in Sri Lanka and leading the laity of the Catholic faith to a way of life in the Holy Spirit.
Fr Oscar was deeply rooted with the concerns, issues and struggles of the youth at the time. As mentioned earlier, he used different models to empower them with solutions.
By this time the expected outcomes of the Second Vatican Council were also taking shape in countries in different ways. The youth services took a new dimension in the Holy Spirit in Sri Lanka. They, with spiritual mentoring from Fr Oscar, became empowered to find solutions to the problems of society. Their own struggles and living them out courageously through the counsel of the Holy Spirit became a way of empowered life for those who joined the fellowships of Kithudana Pubuduwa. Foreseeing all these manifestations of the Lord among the lay youth and the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit His co-associate Fr Oscar with Church seniors such as Cardinal Thomas Cooray who had a vision for the renewal of the church began to encourage the youth apostolate in the new framework now beginning to be known as the Kithudana Pubuduwa.
A transformed church in Christ and co-existence with other faiths with respect while witnessing to the way, truth and life in Jesus became the rhythm of the members of Kithudana Pubuduwa. Baby steps of the renewal in Sri Lanka with Fr Oscar and the youth of Kithudana Pubuduwa of the day grew into the outskirts of Colombo and people from far and wide are now journeying in the way of life in Christ with a zeal to bring others to a deeper relationship with Christ Jesus.
Awareness of the Risen Christ present in their everyday life situations makes it possible for the people of Kithudana Pubuduwa to live in simplicity and sustainably caring for the environment no matter what their social norms and backgrounds may dictate.
A grace filled life in Christ renewed in the Holy Spirit has made it all possible for the community to journey beyond the barriers of the centuries, making the lifestyle advocated by the community in their personal, career or family lives worthwhile and a solution to the problems of society even in the 21st century. The Holy Spirit makes it new for them every day.