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A superlative man of God
For and on behalf of the President, the Council and the Membership of the Catholic Doctors’ Guild, this tribute was formulated and presented by Dr B. J. C. Perera, at the Memorial Service for Reverend Father Crispin Leo, at Aquinas University College, this 14th day of September 2022.
This literary effort of a eulogy on our part is a supreme tribute, and a heartfelt gesture of gratitude to Reverend Father Gerald Chrispin Leo, the former Chaplain/Spiritual Director of the Catholic Doctors’ Guild of Saint Luke and Saints Cosmas and Damian, who left us forever and went to his creator in the evening of Monday the 12th of September 2022.
Reverend Father Gerald Chrispin Leo, who rendered yeoman service to the Catholic Doctors’ Guild and all of us, for 35 years, retired from that position in early 2022. From the year 1987, when the Catholic Doctors’ Guild rose from the ashes like the proverbial Phoenix, following a self-imposed period of voluntary suspension from 1974, Father Gerald Chrispin Leo has been with us throughout a seminal journey of activities undertaken in the spirit of bringing Glory to God through an innumerable collection of Guild activities of spiritual splendour. He was responsible for the revival of the guild 35 years ago and from that time, when he was appointed by the hierarchy of the church as our Chaplain/Spiritual Director, he has not looked back in a singular commitment of a Man of God to the Catholic Doctors’ Guild. He has led us in collective prayer and his beautiful melodious voice has always taken the lead whenever we were called upon to sing hymns of praise to the Good Lord above, to the glory of his truly begotten son Jesus Christ, the gorgeous Mother Mary and all the much-venerated saints of the Kingdom of God in heaven.
Over a three-and-a-half-decade-long ramble with us, Father Crispin Leo has worked with 15 Presidents/Masters of the Guild and has been a deeply valued advisor for a myriad of activities of our guild. These include countless Seminars, loads of Symposia, Dr M. P. M. Cooray Memorial Orations, Lenten Pilgrimages, Maundy Thursday Holy Hours, Christmas Projects of Mercy for the Poor, Christmas Carol Services, Academic Scholarship Schemes for the Underprivileged Students etc; just to name a few of the events carried out by the Catholic Doctors’ Guild.
Reverend Father Chrispin Leo was profoundly respected and practically venerated by all of us while being most affectionately referred to by many of us as ‘Our Father’. From 1987 onwards, over many a decade, the pivotal contributions made by Reverend Father Gerald Chrispin Leo to the welfare of the Catholic Doctors’ Guild, as well as garnering general support for the Guild and the advocacy provided by him for its progression, were absolutely superb and priceless; c’est magnifique, to say the least.
The Good Lord above has now deemed it fit to summon this much-loved son of his, Reverend Father Gerald Chrispin Leo, to the eternal glory of a place in the kingdom of heaven. We have no doubt whatsoever that God the Father himself, accompanied by Saint Peter and all the Saints in his divine habitat would have been there at the pearly gates to receive Reverend Father Crispin Leo in person, into his perpetual heavenly abode. What else could we possibly envision for such a wonderful man whose sojourn on planet earth was just one of utmost dedication to the religion of Roman Catholicism that he believed in, and his undoubted commitment to the services he provided for the glory of the kingdom of God the Almighty.
As for us, we do celebrate the life of this dazzling personality that was Reverent Father Crispin Leo. He was indeed God’s humble messenger to all of us. The memories that we cherish are quite a legion, together with the visual projections of a person who thoroughly enjoyed all social gatherings to the hilt. We do admire him for his simplicity and for being a bridge-builder in all our activities. More than anything, he was a deeply admired friend to all of us; a man who lived a full, beautiful and holy life, and one who enjoyed his journey on planet earth with the fantastic grace of an angel.
We would most dearly miss his prudent, wise, sensible and gentle counsel. Yet for all that, we remain content in our firm belief, that our very dear Reverend Father Crispin Leo has now received the bliss of eternal happiness. It certainly is a just reward indeed, for such a marvellous and delightful man of God.
May this Prince of our holy faith rest in perpetual peace, very safe in the bosom of God the Father Almighty, in the company of Our Lord Jesus Christ, blessed by the Holy Spirit, and in devoted veneration of Holy Mother Mary, as well as all the saints of the kingdom of heaven.Farewell, our much-adored Reverend Father Crispin Leo. We certainly would most sincerely, earnestly and eternally be craving for your illustrious company from now on. Of course, that would be, just only until we meet again in a different celestial world in the future.