Training Seminarians in Sri Lanka
Thursday, December 17, 2009

Project Code: 312-02-79

Known as the "Mad Monk," Bastiampillai Anthonipillai was renowned in Sri Lanka among Catholics and Hindus alike. He was the founder of the first ever home-grown contemplative order for men in the whole of Asia, the Rosarians, and he not only led a life of strict asceticism, sleeping no more than two or three hours a night, he also overturned the caste system by opening up his congregation to members of all castes. All that mattered to Father Thomas, as he was called in his religious life, was the love of the candidate for Jesus Christ. Although this approach met with fierce resistance back in the 1930s and was seen as "crazy," his rule was that the issue of caste should not even be mentioned in his community.

This was by no means the only difficulty that Father Thomas had to contend with, for throughout his life he suffered from poor health. Already at his birth in 1886, nobody expected him to live for more than a few hours. All his life he suffered from a succession of illnesses, was constantly dependent on medication and on one occasion, during his novitiate, fell so gravely ill that he was given the Last Rites, so close did he seem to death. But this man, the first Sri Lankan for whom the Holy See has ever introduced a cause for beatification, did not die until 1964, at the age of 78. After visiting him shortly after his death, the then General Superior of the Oblates – the congregation that Father Thomas had originally entered as a young man before he himself founded the Congregation of the Rosarians – said, "If you want to see a saint, then go to Thologatty. You will find in this old man everything that the word 'holiness' normally evokes, everything that corresponds to our idea of a man of God."

Father Thomas was not only a holy priest, an ascetic monk and a great scholar, he was also a great expert in Hinduism. Through his knowledge, but also through his personal witness, he earned great respect among Hindus as well and was able to engage in a fruitful dialogue with them. He had great respect for the rich traditions of Eastern culture. The congregation he founded is based on the monastic tradition of the Benedictines and the Trappists, and yet it is also rooted in the native culture.

Today, the Congregation of the Rosarians still enjoys numerous new vocations and currently has 18 major seminarians and three novices preparing for a consecrated life of prayer. However, the congregation is struggling to pay for their formation. Homegrown congregations are frequently poor, since unlike the international congregations they cannot look for help from their fellow religious in wealthier countries. In addition, until half a year ago, Sri Lanka was torn by a bloody civil war that for almost 26 years brought death, suffering and misery upon the country. It will be years before the country recovers from this civil war.Now, Father Philip Stanislaus, the regional superior of the congregation, has once again turned to ACN for help. We have promised him $4,700 in the knowledge that this suffering country needs the prayers and witness of these young religious men.

Father Philip Stanislaus wrote to us: "We pray that the Good Lord may bless all your efforts on behalf of so many priests and for the training of religious vocations. Since we are a contemplative community, devoted to the mission of prayer, I will ask all our members to pray and make sacrifices for your concerns and those of your benefactors... We are very grateful for your understanding and appreciation of our way of life and for your support." Will you help support Father Stanislaus and his seminarians in Sri Lanka?

Progress: 4% Raised: $ 200     Goal: $ 4700

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