“Every Bishop stands in the place of Jesus Christ” said St. Ignatius of Antioch. Thus, a Bishop is a living reflection of Jesus to the flock. This time around God choose a priest son of the historic parish of Bolawatte, a hamlet in the Diocese of Chilaw to be His disciple for the Diocese of Chilaw. When the announcement of the appointment by His Holiness Pope Francis as the Vicar of Christ reached Sri Lanka, Catholics across the country were overjoyed and hastily offered prayers of thanksgiving to God.
A couple of hours before, in keeping with the traditions of the Church, Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Brian Udaigwe, the Vatican Nuncio in Sri Lanka was at the Bishop’s House in Chilaw, with a sealed envelope in his hand in front of a gathering that included the Apostolic Administrator of Chilaw, priests, nuns and laity, marking time for the Vatican announcement and it came sharp at 4.30 pm on December 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas.
The Papal Nuncio played the pivotal role of Prophet Samuel who secretly searched for the worthy candidate to anoint as King to succeed Saul. The Prophet said he won’t sit down to eat until the person approved by God is brought in (1 Samuel 16:11-13). The most suitable person was found far away looking after his father’s flock. Out of eight sons they found the last one to be the favoured one to be anointed as king.
Similarly, Rev. Fr. Wimal Siri Jayasuriya was serving far away in the United States of America. The Papal Nuncio under the guidance of the Holy Spirit performed his duty admirably. Bolawatte is a hamlet in the Diocese of Chilaw. The church dedicated to Our Lady of Blessed Assumption stands in the heart of the Catholic stronghold and is renowned for the services rendered by zealous missionaries.
Episcopal Ordination
The Episcopal Ordination of the new Bishop took place at the Cathedral of Mount Carmel in Chilaw on March 2, 2024, amid the Nuncio, Cardinal Archbishop of Colombo, all the bishops of Sri Lanka, priests and nuns of the diocese and a vast crowd of Catholics drawn from all walks of life and all corners of the country.
The Diocese of Chilaw has been one of a dynamic apostolate, be it through the storm, through the night or through the light for 85 years. Currently, it is blessed and bestowed with 150 priests, 242 churches and 350,000 Catholics. The new Shepherd pledged to work towards a Participatory Church with Priests and the Lay faithful in a Synodal way under the guidance of the Holy Spirit following the universal and local teachings of the Church to spread the Kingdom of God.
The Diocese of Chilaw was carved out in 1939 and the destinies have been guided by three bishops. The first, late Rt. Rev. Dr. Edmund Peiris, OMI, served from 1940 to 1972. The second, late Rt. Rev. Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando spearheaded from 1972 to 2006. Then, the third, Rt. Rev. Dr. Valence Devsritha Mendis shepherded the Diocese as the Bishop from 2006 until 2021 and as the Administrator from 2021 to 2024. The blessing of celebrating the centenary of the founding of the diocese in the year 2039 is now bestowed on the new Bishop of Chilaw.
Birth and Growth
Don Wimal Siri Jayasuriya was born on January 23, 1969, to a very devout ancestral Catholic family in the parish of Bolawatte as the third and the youngest child. His parents were Jayasuriya Arachchige Don Lucas and Dona Elizabeth Wijesinghe. History reveals that Fr. Joseph Vaz who smuggled himself into Sri Lanka in 1687 from Goa during the Dutch persecution of Catholics had his famous mission centre in Bolawatte. He revived the Catholic faith in Sri Lanka to become the country’s first saint and the Apostle of Sri Lanka.
His companion and successor, Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, a university professor from Goa, arrived in Sri Lanka in 1707. He pioneered the Catholic culture in Sri Lanka from Bolawatte for 35 long years until his death in 1742. Recognised as the ‘Father of Catholic Literature in Sri Lanka’, he lies buried inside the church and by his side is the body of the first European Bishop of Ceylon, Monsignor Horatio Betachini who served the diocese from 1849 to 1857.
Fr. Florentinu Garcia who served as the parish priest of Bolawatte built a new church and completed it in 1850 and dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. At the time it was a magnificent edifice, the biggest and the most splendid in Chilaw as per the records. Fr. Garcia served half a century from 1850 to 1900 and died at the ripe old age of 85 and was laid to rest in the very church built by him. It was during Fr. Gracia’s pastorate that marvellous manifestations were witnessed in the person of Sr. Helena of Gonavila, who bore the stigmata of the Lord on her body and now declared a Servant of God.
Infant Wimal Siri was baptised at the very same church on Independence Day, February 4, 1969, by Rev. Fr. Richard Peiris, the Assistant Parish Priest. Significantly, at the Episcopal Ordination, Fr. Richard remained the oldest living priest of the Diocese and was bestowed with the honor to bring the Bishop’s cozier to the Alter. Now, he could sing “Nunc Dimittis” like Simeon did when Mary brought the Infant Jesus to the Temple after the fortieth day of His birth (Luke 2:29-32).
Education and Divine Call
Young Wimal Siri attended the school adjacent to the church named Gonslavez Maha Vidyalaya. He received his first Holy Communion on November 23, 1977 from Rev. Fr. Peter Nolosco Suaris and joined the Altar Servers’ Association and started attending daily masses. He received the sacrament of Confirmation on November 30, 1977 from Rt. Rev. Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando.
Surely, the zeal of Fr. Joseph Vaz, the erudition of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez, the lifelong commitment of Fr. Florentinu Garcia and the life of Sr. Helena as well as exemplary and emphatic lay guidance would have inspired him to choose to serve in the vineyard of the Lord. The great love the parents had for priesthood and the sincerity and persistence of the young aspirant resulted in him joining St. Paul’s Minor Seminary at Marawila on February 5, 1983 with the blessings of the then Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Benedict Anthony.
He completed his GCE A/L studying at St. Xavier’s College in Marawila. He then entered the Intermediate Seminary in Kalutara on September 20, 1989 and exactly after one year joined the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka in Ampitiya on September 20, 1990.
Sacerdotal Ordination
After obtaining the double degrees of Bachelor of Philosophy and Theology, he had his sacerdotal ordination, as the youngest at the church of Our Lady of Seven Dolours at Nainamadama, on August 9, 1997. By then his parents had moved to Daluwakotuwa where his loving father, Lucas and mother, Elizabeth passed away peacefully in 2004 and 2010. The bishop’s loving parents were devout Catholics and I shared nostalgic memories with them throughout my teenage years.
Surely, they must be praising God in Heaven for the blessings given to their son on earth. After his ordination, Fr. Wimal Siri worked tirelessly as an Assistant at St. Joseph’s Church in Wennappuwa and St. Sebastian’s Shrine in Katuneriya. Then, he served at the golden sands of Talawila where the great sanctuary, St. Anne’s National Shrine stands as a witness to the fidelity of our ancestors to God.
The late Rt. Rev. Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando spotted and sent him to Rome for higher studies in 2000. He studied Greek and Hebrew languages with a view to specialise on Scripture since there wasn’t a priest in the Diocese for that subject. Halfway through, His Lordship asked him to give it up and study Canon Law instead.
He obeyed his Bishop and returned to the Diocese in 2005 with a Licentiate and Doctorate in Canon Law. He is perhaps the youngest Sri Lankan priest to achieve a doctorate at the age of 34. He also gained a PG Diploma in Eccl Administrative Practice and PG Dip in Eccl Jurisprudence. Besides, he completed a Master of Arts in Sociology at the University of Peradeniya.
Professor in Canon Law
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Devsritha Valence Mendis made him the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese and the President of the Matrimonial Tribunal, as the Bishop had a big backlog of unfinished marriage cases to solve. He handled the arduous task and launched his brainchild “Sevilla” (Search) for youngsters of both sexes before they decide on a partner and it became very popular among the youngsters.
He also organised three-wheeler (taxi) drivers into associations and instructed them on how to improve their self-respect by being courteous and honest with their customers. The program continued for educated professionals as well. They were told that we are not owners but stewards of the earthly properties.
All these Pastoral abilities came to the surface more clearly when he was made the Executive Secretary of the Diocesan Synod in 2010, entrusting him the entire responsibility of organizing the Diocesan Synod at Talawila in 2012. He visited all the Parishes, Priests and Laity. It was like a prelude to the Synodal Church Vatican introduced to the whole world very recently.
He was sent to the National Seminary in Kandy in 2013 as the Professor in Canon Law. He served as a Formator, Spiritual Director, Lecturer of Canon Law, Ecclesiology, Philosophy Law and Diocesan Spirituality. He was also the Dean of the Faculty of Theology from 2016 to 2019. All his students, now priests across the Dioceses and Parishes admire his lectures as well as his simplicity and sanctity.
Judge of the Tribunal
After working assiduously for 13 years without a break, he proceeded to the United States of America on Sabbatical leave in 2020. There he worked as the Judge of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Tribunal and as the Associate Pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Then he served as the Judge of the Tribunal of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and as the Parish Priest of St. Mary Mother of God Church and Soup Kitchen, Fort Wayne that served about 450 poor people daily. He had a special concern for the poor and Fort Wayne being a very rich parish, he had no problem with funds. The rich knew his sincerity and donated generously. He celebrated his Silver Jubilee of the priesthood in August, 2022.
He preferred to walk or go by public transport with the poor to identify himself with their hardships, to experience their poverty. There were several offers from the rich parishioners for a private vehicle. But he always refused their kind offer and wanted to identify himself with the poor to be familiar with them. A shepherd should get used to the smell of his flock, was his driving force. He also worked as a Judge in two Marriage Tribunals.
A Simple Shepherd
The new Bishop, Rt. Rev. Dr. Wimal Siri Jayasuriya is a creative thinker, good planner, good mentor who could guide others. He respects others and is a lover of nature. He is a good athlete and a sportsman. He is a good listener who upholds justice. He leads by example and admits his weaknesses. He looks proud but he is extremely humble and approachable.
Bishop Wimal Siri is well educated, both secular and religious. He is a qualified, versatile, experienced, pastoral minded Canonist. He is a gentle judge and a good decision maker. He is not afraid of taking decisions. He excels discretionary power. He assesses people and situations very well. He is a model priest, who practices what he preaches. He is a man of principle.
He is generous, charitable, exemplary and exposed to international cultures. Down to earth is he and elegant in all dealings. He is sincere and kind-hearted. He is a disciplinarian. He is a perfectionist. He is a visionary. He has no favourites, not even his family. He loves all equally, rich or poor, young and old. He has a soft corner for the marginalised and the suffering.
He is pastorally zealous. He walks the talk and leads by example. He does what he says and says what he does. He is dearly loved by many and highly respected, yet he likes to identify himself as a simple priest. He is the one that most priests and Catholics wished and prayed for to be leading the Diocese of Chilaw.
Motto and Coat of Arms
Rt. Rev. Dr. Wimal Siri Jayasuriya has chosen “Do whatever He tells you” as his motto as the Bishop. These are the very words the Blessed Virgin Mary used to instruct the servants at the Wedding at Cana where Christ changed water into wine (John 2:5). His Coat of Arms also aptly depicts Marian intervention in his life and include six stone jars which are symbolic of the Miracle at the Wedding at Cana.
Let’s wish Rt. Rev. Dr. Wimal Siri Jayasuriya, the length of days, the days full of labour and toil for the Lord and toil that will produce a plentiful harvest that it shall be sustained for evermore in the Kingdom of God.
Ad Multos Annos, Vivat!
(The writer grew up in the hamlet of Bolawatte from his birth and witnessed all the events that unfolded in the life of the new bishop as a parishioner. He could be reached on [email protected]
