57th Anniversary of the Ordination of Late Rev. Fr. Leo

For a Roman Catholic priest, the Ordination Ceremony is the glittering starting point of a journey when chosen to be a servant of God and then to be entrusted with the task of being devoted to the religion of Catholicism while undertaking the mission of being dedicated to the service of mankind. Late Reverend Father Gerald Chrispin Leo was so ordained in Rome, Italy, by His Holiness Pope Paul VI, on a very cold January 6, 1966.

From that point onwards, right up to the day he left this mortal world on September 12, 2022, Rev. Fr. Leo has stood out as the epitome of an apostle of Christ and as a man who honoured the sacred vow that he took at his ordination.

Rev. Fr. Leo was the Chaplain/Spiritual Director of the Catholic Doctors’ Guild of Saint Luke and Saints Cosmas and Damian for 35 years. His contribution towards guiding the members of the guild is best described as splendid and legendary. He always took that assignment as a pivotal voyage undertaken in the true spirit of bringing glory to the Almighty. He was responsible for the initial revival of the guild in the early seventies and then he led us for three and a half decades with charismatic dedication. 

Rev. Fr. Leo was profoundly respected and practically venerated by all of us, while being most affectionately referred to by many of us as ‘Our Father’. Over many a decade his pivotal contributions 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 superb and priceless; c’est Magnifique, to say the least.

The Good Lord above has deemed it fit to summon this much-loved son of his, Rev. Fr Chrispin Leo, to the eternal glory of a place in the kingdom of heaven. What else could we possibly envision for such a wonderful man whose sojourn on planet earth was just one of utmost dedication and undoubted commitment to the services he provided for the glory of the kingdom of God?

As for us, we do celebrate the life of this dazzling personality that was Rev. Fr. 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 renowned 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 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 Rev. Fr. Leo has now received the bliss of eternal happiness.  

May this Prince of our holy faith rest in perpetual peace safely in the kingdom of heaven. Farewell our much-adored Rev. Fr. Leo. We certainly would most sincerely, earnestly and eternally be craving for your illustrious company. That would be until we meet again in a different celestial world.
Dr B. J. C. Perera
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician