The Remarkable legacy of a priest in education!

It was Pope St. John XXIII of revered memory who once said, “Men are like wine – some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age”, which is very true of the late Archbishop of Colombo Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis who bid farewell to his earthly life at a quite ripe old age of 90. When we look at this luminary of our times from the perspective of his great contribution to the field of education, he is, no doubt, a ‘Paragon of Education’ who searched for knowledge with a sincere quest and encouraged the same in others.

To his credit in the relevant field, he held Master’s Degree in Education from the Adamson University in the Philippines and was conferred a Doctorate by the Taiwan-based Fu Jen University in recognition of his invaluable services rendered in the fields of Education and Social Communication in Asia.

The Chancellor
Archbishop Gomis had been on the Academic Council of the University of Colombo from 1977-2001. Later, he was appointed the Chancellor in 2001 and continued to serve the University in this capacity till 2021. Every year, the graduates, after their convocation, commenting on the ‘Smiling Chancellor’ who congratulated each and every one of them, had become a usual touching phenomenon during this period in the University of Colombo. His Grace, thus made it a point to make their ‘big day’ truly a memorable one by that little personal human touch. He took great pride in the achievements of both the students and the members of the academic staff of the University, as he was a man who always saw his own success in the success of others in whose lives he was able to make some positive and enriching impact!

The Educationist
It was Archbishop Christopher Bonjean O.M.I., the first Archbishop of Colombo who initiated Catholic education in Sri Lanka and, in 1865 he proposed a system of State-Assisted Schools to be administered by each religious denomination (Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim) in the island. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the government in 1869 decided that any religious denomination could open schools for its children which would be given a special grant by the State. Thus, Archbishop Bonjean became the ‘Father of Denominational School System’ in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).

In the same way, Archbishop Oswald Gomis can be considered the ‘Father of Assisted School System’ in the island. Being a product of Catholic education himself, he wanted to provide similar rich education through equality and religious harmony for all the children in the country. At an interview, he once said that when he was appointed Archbishop of Colombo, he had a special objective – that is to provide a good education for everyone in the country. 

To achieve this target, he wanted to expand the realm of Catholic education as wide as possible. As a man of wisdom and far-sightedness, probably gathering inspiration from the French writer Victor Hugo’s famous quotation: “He who opens a school door, closes a prison”, he made a valiant effort within the then existing legal framework of the country to establish branch schools of many of the leading prestigious Catholic private schools in the island.

The Historian 
Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, as a historian too, has contributed to the field of education in no small measure. For example, he has disproved the fact that Catholicism was introduced for the first time in our country by the Portuguese in his book, ‘Some Christian Contributions in Sri Lanka’.

The Historian-Archbishop also quotes that Prof. Senarath Paranavithana in his book, ‘Story of Sigiriya’ has proved beyond doubt that Christianity was in ancient Sri Lanka with irrefutable evidence based on details found in certain rock inscriptions in various parts of the country. A carved Cross on a granite column found in the year 1912 from Anuradhapura during excavations, according to His Grace, bears safe testimony to this undeniable fact.

Also he had a special liking towards Sinhalese literature whose profound richness he very often used, of course with some anecdotes here and there, to add more depth and meaning to his speeches and writings.  

The Writer
From 1960-1961, His Grace functioned as the Director of the Colombo Catholic Press and from 1961-1968, he was given the additional responsibility of becoming the Editor of ‘Gnanartha Pradeepaya’ – the oldest existing Sinhala newspaper in Sri Lanka and ‘Duthaya’ –  a Catholic monthly at that time. Here is a list of some of the books published by this eminent Writer-Archbishop: Mahopadeshaya (Sinhala), Periya Kulippidum (Tamil), Lama Bibalaya (Sinhala), Sinhalaye Kithunu Urumaya (Sinhala), Maga Hondata Thibenam (Sinhala), Santhana Siritha (Sinhala), Yovun Bibalaya (Sinhala), Devidhano Daruwan Amathannahe (Sinhala), Jesu Samidun Bharathaye – A Response (Sinhala), Reminiscences of Tewatta , Thewatte Mathaka Satahan (Sinhala), Some Christian Contributions in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankawe Kithunu Dayakathwaya (Sinhala), The Catholic Family Catechism, Kithu Samidhano Bharathayata Vedisekdha? (Sinhala), Katholika Yatagiyaawa (Sinhala), Life in Christ Book Series.

As a journalist, he also contributed articles on a multitude of subjects to a number of reputed Sri Lankan newspapers such as the ‘Daily Mirror’, ‘Daily News’, ‘Sunday Observer’, ‘The Sun’, ‘Lankadeepa’, ‘Dawasa’ and other various journals as well. 

The famous English playwright Sir William Shakespeare in Act II, Scene V of his play, ‘Twelfth Night’ categorically mentioned: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

Archbishop Gomis, as mostly a self-educated veteran clergyman, very well fits into the second category of those who have achieved greatness in the field of education as a ‘Shining Paragon of Education’ for all of us to imitate according to the Shakespearean criterion of achieving greatness!

May the soul of His Grace rest in peace with the hope of rising in glory!