by Melani Manel Perera

The new auxiliary bishop of Colombo talks about his new mission. As a pastor, he has a great role to play in caring for his flock, meeting their spiritual needs, increasing their awareness of the depth of the sacraments and the mysteries. He will pursue all these things because, “in the end, the satisfaction of a priest remains in the way he celebrates the sacraments.”

Colombo (Asia News) – Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam, 53, is the third Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo. An ethnic Tamil, he was consecrated in a ceremony on 29 August held in St. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena. "I know only one thing, that everything I received, I got from our Lord Jesus,” he told AsiaNews.

How did you feel when you heard about your appointment?

Of course, it was surprising. It makes you think about many things, like if I am right for it. However, in the end, placing my trust in God's providence, I accepted.

I know that God continues to bestow blessings on me and lead me to do what He wants me to do according to his way. So I accepted my new calling since it was God who chose me. And I believed "it is the Lord" and so I obeyed.

In a few words, how do you accept this new mission?

Serving Jesus is no different. Basically, I will stay and do the work that priests do. I shall continue the same mission but with different approaches. The approaches may differ but the mission will be the same.

You were an educator and now you are a bishop. What will your tasks be since the Tamil Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Colombo is quite large?

Yes, I worked mainly with children and young people aged 5 to 19, but I did not limit myself to them. Through the children I met parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters. I met their pastors and all the others who are closely involved with children.

Now, as a pastor, there is a great role to play in caring for our members, meeting their spiritual needs. I like to make them more aware of the depth of the sacraments and the mysteries. I will continue all these things because, in the end, the satisfaction of a priest remains in the way he celebrates the sacraments.

I have just started and I have not been assigned any particular task so far. As an auxiliary, I serve the Archbishop and I am open to carrying out any task set by the Archbishop and any mission of Our Lord Jesus, in accordance with my abilities.

As someone born and raised in the north, you are close to your ethnic group, especially those who are still victims of war. Do you think you can do something for these helpless people?

Of course, these people must be helped. But each area is governed by its bishop who meets the needs of his flock. It will take time to address certain issues. I shall definitely help other bishops, but I will not be able to directly implement any plans for their people. I firmly believe that the bishops of Jaffna, Mannar and Batticaloa are doing their level best for their respective communities.

What has been your experience with God so far?

I firmly believe that God has always been with me and guided me, even though I may not have realised it at the time. I was born in Karampan, Jaffna. I have a twin brother. I was baptised in the Church of Our Lady of Refuge in Jaffna.

In 1973 we moved to Colombo-Kotahena, where I enrolled at the St Benedict's College, Kotahena. Unfortunately, my father died that year, and we returned to Jaffna in 1974.

I got into St. Patrick's College. After my A Level, I informed my family that I wanted to become a priest and entered the seminary in Jaffna. I was selected to enter the university, but the bishop of Jaffna vetoed my entry into university.

I did my first and second years at the Jaffna seminary, but I really wanted to go to college. For a second time, the bishop said no.

With a heavy heart I went to the university to withdraw my application, but I was told me that I could start my studies after completing the seminary. This was an unexpected opportunity for me.

When I completed my seminary studies, I again asked the bishop for permission to enter the university. I had been waiting for two years. But once again he said no. I was downcast and heartbroken. Like me, four other seminarians wanted to do the same thing.

Eventually, thanks to a wise priest, we decided to leave the seminary and go to university. I registered and graduated in Mathematics with good marks. I was later offered an assistant position.

Once again, I wanted to fulfill my dream of being a priest and contacted the archbishop, Nichols Marcus, through my uncle, Bishop Kingsley Swamilpillai. The archbishop spoke to me. I had to learn Sinhala; otherwise, there was no chance of becoming a priest in the Archdiocese of Colombo.

Studying another language from scratch, using Sinhala Grade 1,2 3 textbooks ... like a kid ... learning all those letters wasn't that easy, it was a challenge but I did my best and I kept my promise.

In 1995 I entered the Ampitiya National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka where I studied theology for two years. Then, in 1998, I started working at the parish level, in three parishes.

In 2000, after serving as a deacon for a few months, six other deacons and I were ordained priests on 16 September by the late Archbishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando.

I hadn't thought about becoming a priest in the Diocese of Colombo or becoming a bishop of any diocese. But Jesus led me very well to this end.

What will be your message as a new pastor?

My motto is "DOMINUS EST" which means "IT IS THE LORD". I chose it because "It is the Lord" who guided me, no one else. Sometimes human beings make many plans for the future, plans for their children to become doctors, engineers, and so on.

Instead, we must first ask the Lord to guide us, to help us choose the right path ... What should my son be like one day? The Lord will find ways. Otherwise, our plans won't work.

We must always listen to God's voice. He always speaks to us through someone else. So first we must learn to listen to God’s divine voice which we may receive through others. Then we will not be misled in our journey of life.

• sri lanka
• colombo
• jaffna
• auxiliary bishop
• anton ranjith puillainayagam
• tamil