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St. Mary’s College, Negombo: A Journey of 150 Years
Archbishop chief celebrant at jubilee mass
St. Mary’s College, Negombo will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Nov 04 with a ‘jubilee mass’ at Grand Street Church, Negombo with the participation of Archbishop of Colombo and patron of the OBA as chief celebrant.
The mass will be followed by the special issue of a First Day cover by the Philatelic Bureau, laying of the foundation stone for ‘Jubilee building; in honour of the late Archbishop Most Rev Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando, an old boy of St. Mary’s College and the issuance of Jubilee Souvenir.
St. Mary’s English Boys’ School had its early humble beginning as a grant-in-aid-school when Rev. Monsignor John Vistarini, the Missionary Priest Mary’s Church- Grand Street, started it in the Mission House in 1871 for the benefit of the children of the Grand Street Mission. Later it become St. Mary’s English Boys’ High School in a new building behind the Mission House in 1872. Rev. Fr. Vistarini was a great visionary with a flair for preaching, education and social work. It was his passion for great humanitarian service that drove him to model the school as a provider of quality and affordable education.
Throughout early history, St. Mary’s Church and St. Mary’s College were administered by the Priest in charge of Grand Street Mission and together has been a beacon of light guiding its children in the path of wisdom gained through knowledge, character and spirituality. These great institutions are deeply involved in helping people learn and work toward wholeness and better character.
The motto of St. Mary’s College is “VIAM SAPIENTIAE MONSTRABO TIBI”, a Latin phrase which is taken from the biblical book of Proverbs (4:11) meaning “I WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY OF WISDOM” in English.
The College has made significant strides under the management of the Catholic Church for almost a century since its beginning. Although it came under government control on January 01 1969, the Church’s influence continued until 1981 when the golden era of rectors ended.
Although education was the primary objective of the college, it went beyond the traditional framework into areas such as leadership, discipline, spirituality, etc., in order to produce well rounded citizens. The college has a reputation of producing a large number of catholic priests, if not the highest. A shining example is the Archbishop Emeritus Rt. Rev. Dr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando who was called to eternal rest on the 11 of April 2019. Fr. Nicholas Marcus Fernando became the youngest, at the age of 44, and the first diocesan priest to be appointed Archbishop on March 30, 1977, and since then His Grace had spearheaded and guided the Catholic flock with admiration.
Tribute is paid to all those who contributed to bringing this hallowed institution into reality including the founding Father Vistarini, the Oblate Fathers, Christian Brothers, Marist Brothers, and all the lay teachers. A deep debt of gratitude is also owed to the members of the OBA right from the inception for their steadfastness in helping the college in numerous ways.
Today the college is being administered by Rector, Rev. Fr. Hemantha Fernando assisted by a faculty of able and qualified staff which has brought renewed hope of re-inventing the former glory.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
