SSS Sri Lanka

The history of Catholic missions is as old as the Church, inspired by the commission Christ left his followers to make disciples of all nations. Accordingly, Blessed Sacrament Fathers from Australia, motivated by the vision of St. Peter Julian Eymard ‘to set the four corners of the world on fire with Eucharistic love’ started the Eucharistic mission in the Island nation of Sri Lanka in 1956, and established their first community at St. Philip Neri’s Church, Colombo-11. As the community ballooned with vocation, the mission of the Congregation too mushroomed nationwide. Nevertheless, then the prevailing situation in the country remained a hindrance to the Congregation to initiate the Eucharistic mission in the northern Sri Lanka. In this scenario, a renowned doctors’ family from Sillalai donated their ‘Innasithamby Nilaiyam’ to the Congregation in August 2004. In that house, late Rev. Fr.Alfred Alexander,sss., spearheaded an awareness and educational programmes for youth and children of the area. After Fr. Alex’s departure to Australia for mission in June 2010, Fr. Manuel Asirvadam,sss., continued the project with zeal and commitment.
As the country was returning to normalcy the Congregation needed to start a Eucharistic mission in the diocese. Consequently, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Luistro,sss., then Vicar General of the Congregation, together with the former Provincial, Rev. Fr. Sunil Rupasinghe,sss., and Fr. Manuel Asirvadam,sss., initiated a negotiation with the Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Saundaranayagam, in view of obtaining a mission centre for the Congregation. Delighted
with the request made by Father Vicar General, the Bishop of Jaffna responded positively by offering Chankanai, a sub-station of Sillalai parish. Furthermore, the Bishop requested Fr. Provincial to write a request letter if he favored any other place and the former’s successor would reflect on it. Subsequently, during the tenure of Rev. Fr. Dilan Fernando,sss., as the Provincial Superior, the incumbent Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin Gnanapragasam offered the parish of Periyavilan to the Congregation and appointed Fr. Manuel Asirvadam,sss., as the parish priest on the 20 th of November, 2016. Chronologically, Periyavilan has become the seventh mission centre of the Congregation in Sri Lanka. The parish of Periyavilan is composed of three active churches dedicated to St. John the Baptist – Periyavilan, St. Anthony – Periyavilan and St. Joseph – Alaveddy. The strength of the parish is approximately four hundred families. The parish has a pre-school and an evening study facilities. We do give importance to the diocesan emphasis on “ANBIAM” (Small Christian Community), and strive our best to divide each Church community into Anbiams in view of transforming Small Christian Communities to Small Eucharistic communities and consequently embracing the entire parish community into the Congregational Mission, that is “To respond to the hungers of the human family with the riches of God’s love manifested in the Eucharist” RoL # 3.

Since the opening of Sillalai foundation, the following priests have served there in different capacities making an enormous contribution to the spreading of the Eucharistic mission:
Rev Frs. Alfred Alexander, Manuel Asirwadam, Chaminda Fernando, Joe Packiam, CAG Christopher, Revel Melraj, Anthony Marian and Priyantha Angodage

As apostolic religious, apart from our parish and Eucharistic ministry, we make ourselves available to neighboring parishes and convents for ministries such as hearing Confessions, celebrating Masses, conducting recollections and preaching for novenas.