Restoration of St. Benedict’s College iconic clock tower building

St. Benedict's College clock tower 

‘Let’s rise to reignite a legacy’ is the call going out to all Benedictines, as the Old Boys Union of St. Benedict’s College launches the ‘clock tower restoration project’ on Sunday, 12 December with a simple ceremony beginning with Holy Mass at the college auditorium. 

Steeped in over 120 years of history, the clock tower building holds within its pillars a memory for every Benedictine, young and old, who graces the grounds of this prestigious educational institution, St. Benedict’s College, the Mother of all Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Colombo. 

St. Benedict’s College is presently on a mission to regain its rightful position, within the educational sphere of Sri Lanka, under the youthful Rev. Bro. Dr. Pubudu Rajapaksha, Director and Rev. Bro. Pravin Vaz, Sub Director – Primary School. During its 156 years of existence (without counting 26 years of its forerunner Roman Catholic Seminary in Hultsdorf), the alumni of St. Benedict’s College have been some of the most eminent personalities in both religious and secular fields.

The clock tower restoration project aims to restore the elegance and the beauty of this iconic building, whilst equipping it with the most modern state-of-the-art facilities to enable the students of St. Benedict’s College to strive for excellence in all areas of education. The project will develop the existing resources and infrastructure facilities to provide young Benedictines with the latest technology, whilst creating a healthy learning environment.

The magnificent clock tower building is the legacy left behind by Rev. Bro. Cassian of Jesus (formerly Joseph Perumal), an Old Benedictine and one of the first Ceylonese to join De La Salle Order, which took over the management of St. Benedict’s College from Benedictine Fathers in 1868. The restored building will be dedicated to the memory of this most revered Christian Brother, who already has a House named after him.