Colombo Archdiocese blessed with third auxiliary bishop

• Consecration on 29 August

The Consecration of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa Rector Msgr. Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam as the third auxiliary bishop of Colombo Archdiocese will take place on 29 August and Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith is scheduled to officiate at the ceremony.

Pope Francis had named Rev. Fr. Pillainayagam as the auxiliary bishop of Colombo Archdiocese 13 July assigning him the Titular See of Materiana, a press release issued by the Apostolic Nunciature Colombo said.   

Auxiliary bishop elect Fr. Pillainayagam, born on 23 September 1966 in Jaffna, is conversant in all the three major languages spoken in the country.

He had his early education both in St. Benedict’s College, Kotahena (1973) and at St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna (1974-1985) and he completed his philosophical studies at St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary, Jaffna (1985-1988). 

He then entered the National Seminary of Our Lady of Sri Lanka, Ampitiya, Kandy, in 1995 and followed studies in Theology and Sacred Scripture. He was ordained to the priesthood on 16 September 2000 at the ordination ceremony held at St Lucia’s Cathedral in Colombo, presided over by then Colombo Archbishop Rev. Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando.   

Fr. Pillainayagam, a past student of the Science Faculty, Jaffna University, earned his Degree in Mathematics and Master’s in Philosophy, and obtained his Baccalaureate in Theology from the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome. 

He was sent to Middlesex University, UK in 2004 to continue further studies and in the year 2005, he returned to the country having obtained his Master’s in Educational Science. Back in Sri Lanka he served in the tutorial staffs of Colombo Catholic colleges including both St. Joseph’s College, Maradana, and St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya and he was serving as the Rector of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa at the time he was named the third auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Colombo. (WIRUMA)