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Obituary: Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Stanley Abeysekera – Former Rector, St. Joseph’s College

Posted on 29 March 2015 by admin

Fr. Stanley

The death is announced of Rev. Fr. (Dr) Stanley Abeysekera, former Rector, St. Joseph's College, Colombo for the period 1983-1996. At the invitation of the newly formed Josephian-Peterite OBA in Canada, Fr. Stanley visited Toronto in 1985 and was accorded the honour of acting as Chief Guest at the 2nd Annual Joe-Pete Cricket Encounter played at the picturesque Marigail Cricket Grounds in Orangeville. He spent three days in Toronto and visited his sister and her family who lived in the city at the time.

Life and Times of Rev. Fr. (Dr) Stanley Abeysekera

Rev. Fr. Stanley Abeysekera was called Eternal Rest in the Lord on 29th March 2015.

 His mortal remains will be brought to St. Joseph's College, Colombo 10, on Monday the 30th March and will remain until 6.00 pm and thereafter his mortal remains will be transferred to St. Sebastian's Shrine, Kandana for the funeral to be held on Tuesday the 31st March at Kandana at 3.00 pm

His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, will preside at the Funeral Mass together with the other Bishops and priests.

 In May 1983, Rev. Fr. B. Stanley Abeysekara was appointed as the 10th Rector of St. Joseph’s College Rev. Fr. Stanley Abeysekera celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his Priesthood at the College Chapel. He served as Rector of St. Joseph's College, Maradana, St. Don Bosco, Kaluaggala and St. Thomas' College, Kotte.

Born on February 3, 1935, as the second son of Don John Abeysekera of the Telecommunications Department and Dona Beatrice Margaret of Kandana.

After his primary education at De Mazenod College, Kandana, he entered the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary in Borella and was ordained a priest of God in 1963.

Sitting for his London BSc examination from Aquinas College of Higher Studies in Borella, he successfully completed his Degree with Second Class Honours. Entering the National Seminary of Our Lady of Sri Lanka in Ampitiya Kandy, he completed his seven priestly studies, both Philosophy and Theology receiving gold and silver medals.

Rev. Fr. Stanley Abeysekera celebrates the Golden Jubilee of his Priesthood on Saturday, December 21, 2013. He had served as Rector of St. Joseph's College, Maradana, St. Don Bosco, Kaluaggala and St. Thomas' College, Kotte.

Born on February 3, 1935, as the second son of Don John Abeysekera of the Telecommunications Department and Dona Beatrice Margaret of Kandana, their residence was close to St. Sebastian's Shrine in Kandana.

After his primary education at De Mazenod College, Kandana, he entered the St. Aloysius Minor Seminary in Borella and was ordained a priest of God in 1963.

Sitting for his London BSc examination from Aquinas College of Higher Studies in Borella, he successfully completed his Degree with Second Class Honours. Entering the National Seminary of Our Lady of Sri Lanka in Ampitiya Kandy, he completed his seven priestly studies, both Philosophy and Theology receiving gold and silver medals.

REV. DR. BERNARD STANLEY ABEYSEKERA (former Rector of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo), beloved son of late Don John & Beatrice Margret Abeysekera, loving brother of late Hyacinth Palmon, Prof. Damascene Abeysekera, late Francis Abeysekera, Emelda Solangaarachchi, Leonie Rodrigo & Rita Senerath, brother-in-law of Palmon, Hortense, Nimal, Michael, Nimecian and late Henry, uncle of Nirmala, late Andrea, Dilshan, Dinuke, Hemal, Chrisantha, Suren, Janith, Roshanie, Sharminda, Suranga, Shilani, Dinusha, Nelunika & Angela. His mortal remains will lie at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10 from 8.30 a.m. – 7.30 p.m. on Monday 30th March (Holy Mass offered at 6.00 p.m. at the College Chapel) and thereafter at St. Sebastian’s Shrine, Kandana. Funeral service on Tuesday 31st March at 3.00 p.m. followed by interment at Kandana RC Cemetery, family members. 050382

REV. FR. DON BERNARD STANLEY ABEYSEKERA, of the Archdiocese of Colombo (former Rector, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo), was called to Eternal Rest. His mortal remains will lie in state at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10 from 8.30 a.m. on Monday (30th) and after the Mass at 6.00 p.m. on Monday. The remains will be transferred to St. Sebastian’s Church, Kandana. Funeral Mass will be at 3.00 p.m. on Tuesday, 31st March followed by interment at RC Cemetery, Kandana. 050383

 

TRIBUTE PAID TO LATE REV.FR.STANLEY ABEYSEKERA BY THE OLD BOYS UNION SJC – PUBLISHED IN THE LAST SJC OBU NEWSLETTER.

Golden Jubilee of Rev. Fr. Stanley Abeysekera (1963-2013).

The 10th Rector of St. Joseph’s College, Rev. Dr. Bernard Stanley Abeysekera celebrated his sacerdotal golden jubilee on the 21st of December 2013. The event was marked with a concelebrated Holy Mass with Fr. Abeysekera as the Chief Celebrant. Joining Fr. Abeysekera among other Priests were two other Rectors of the School, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Ranasinghe, the outgoing Rector and Rev. Fr. Travis Gabriel the incoming Rector.

At the conclusion of the Mass the Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith addressed the gathering recalling the great contribution that Rev.Fr. Abeysekera had made to the priesthood and to St. Joseph’s College. Present at the Holy Mass were the two Archbishops Emeriti of Colombo His Grace Nicholas Marcus Fernando and His Grace Oswald Gomis.

The Holy Mass was followed by a lunch attended by Priests, Nuns, past and present teachers, Old Boys and relatives and friends of Rev. Fr. Abeysekera.

Rev.Fr. Abeysekera was the Rector of St. Joseph’s College from 1983 to 1996, the fourth longest reign in the history of the school the three longest eras being that of Rev.Fr. Legoc, Rev.Fr. Peter Pillai and Rev. Fr. Charles Collins. Those of us who studied at St. Joseph’s when Rev. Fr. Stanley was the Rector recall the visionary Principal of St. Joseph’s whose work ensured that the school remained the premier Catholic School in Sri Lanka and that its students continued to effectively contribute to the Sri Lankan community.
 Rev. Fr. Abeysekera, who holds a doctorate in Education from the University of London, made it his mission to uplift the educational standards of the school. However his vision for St. Joseph’s did not stop at academic excellence. He demonstrated strong leadership in every aspect of governance of St. Joseph’s College, developing the school in every aspect both physical and spiritual.

Rev.Fr. Abeysekera as a teacher and Rector inculcated in the students the values of a multi religious and multi-cultural community. This writer recalls on the day after Vesak how Rev.Fr.Abeysekera spoke to the students at the assembly in the College Chapel of the common values of love and compassion the great religions of the world share, recalling the words of Amaradewa’s Song “Ada Van Vu Denethin Galana….”.

Twenty Five Years ago on Rev.Fr. Stanley Abeysekera’s silver jubilee Rev.Fr. Chrispin Leo his then Vice Rector had this to say of him in the Blue and White Magazine: “ In all he does what matters most is his Priesthood. It is the commitment to Jesus that compels him to do the best for the Institute and Students. In all his dealings he tries to be a man of God and a Priest of God.” (Vol 66 1986-1988)

We wish one of the best loved Rectors of this school many more fruitful years in the vineyard of the Lord.

 (Article was compiled by OBU Vice President, Attorney at Law Saliya Pieris)

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