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by W. T. A. Leslie Fernando

The Catholic community of the University of Peradeniya in collaboration with the Newman Society Alumni will celebrate the annual feast of the Church of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom today. This year's patronal feast has added significance in that this beautiful church with Sri Lankan identity turns 50 years since it came into being. This unique church could be considered as the first chapel with an indigenous outlook in Sri Lanka.

The European missionaries during the Portuguese times who established the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka in the 16th century imposed Western culture on people along with Christianity. During the Dutch times the Oratorian priests made an attempt to set up an indigenous Church adapted to the country and suited to its needs and circumstances. Nevertheless art and architecture in the Church remained Western.

In 1940's when the administration of the Catholic Church began to be indigenised there was a national resurgence in the Church. The pioneer of this cultural renaissance was Bishop Edmund Pieris OMI, who wanted to make the Church in Sri Lanka a thing of the soil.

With this end in view, he edited and presented many works of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez that contained prayers in the chanting style of Sinhala and Tamil prose and hymns set to Carnatic ragas and folk music well known in the soil.

Following the initiative taken by Dr. Edmund Pieris, others like Fr. Mercelline Jayakody, Fr. D. J. Anthony, Fr. Moses Perera, Fr. Henry Rodrigo, Sunil Santha, Douglas Perera and J. K. S. Perera produced outstanding religious art, literary works, prayers and hymns that contained both Christian aspects and national sentiments. Until 1950s the Catholic churches in Sri Lanka were built on the Western models following Roman forms and Greek Gothic style.

However, the Bassilica in Telwatte which was designed in late 1940s has elements of oriental culture. The first church in Sri Lanka, supposed to be built strictly adhering to indigenous architecture was St. Mary's Church, Badalgama. It was the brainchild of Fr. Henry Rodrigo OMI, the construction of which was begun in 1953 and completed in 1956.

The Sinhala works of art and architecture, sculptural forms and decorative designs in the Anuradhapura period are master pieces of art, sober, serene and refined in comparison with stodgy and flamboyant works in the contemporary India. Even the secular aesthetic paintings of the damsels in Sigiriya do not arouse sensuous feelings. The Sinhala artist has always been restrained and moderated by the philosophical and puritinical outlook of Theravada buddhism.

In building St. Mary's Church, Badalgama, Fr. Henry Rodrigo adopted art and architecture, sculptural forms and decorative designs in the Anuradhapura period. He followed Kandyan architecture in designing the outer structure, facade and the roof. St. Mary's Church, Badalgama has proved what a beautiful church could be built following indigenous art and architecture.

St. Mary's Church, Badalgama was acclaimed by both Christians and non-Christians as a wonderful structure. In fact several Nayake Theras came to the site and admired it. It was St. Mary's Church, Badalgama that gave the lead to build several other churches like St. Joseph's Anuradhapura, St. Sebastian's, Katuwapitiya in Negombo and St.Martin de Porres Church, Gamgoda, Wennappuwa, with a national setting. Now almost all our Catholic churches in Sri Lanka are built with an indigenous outlook.

When the construction of the celebrated St. Mary's Church, Badalgama was in progress, though not in such a grandoise form, another church with an indigenous outlook was taking shape in the foothills of Hantane. This was the Church of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom in Peradeniya University Campus.

The chapel was designed by the then Peradeniya University Catholic Chaplain Fr. Ignatious Pinto. Its construction was initiated in 1953 and was completed within two years. It was blessed by Dr. Bernard Regno, the Bishop of Kandy and was formally inaugurated in late 1955. In a way the Chapel of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom could be considered as the first Catholic church with an indigenous outlook to see the light of the day.

The Arts Faculty of the University of Ceylon was shifted to Peradeniya in 1952. The Catholic students who moved to Peradeniya University Campus formed the Catholic Students' Union there in October 1952.

On a proposal made its President Denis Bartholomeus in 1953, the society allied with Catholic University students world-wide and changed its name into Newman Society. Aloy Ratnayake P.C., the present President of the Newman Society Alumni Association, Prof. Ashley Halpe, vice-patron and Fr. Joseph Eustace Fernando SJ, one time Chaplain of the Newman Society were among the first batch of Catholic students to shift to Peradeniya and name the society after Cardinal Newman the author of the much celebrated work "The idea of a University".

With the shifting of the arts faculty of the University Fr. Ignatious Pinto too moved to Peradeniya as lecturer in European History and Chaplain of Catholic students. Soon he conceived an idea to build a chapel and a hall of residence. After months of tenacious correspondence Fr. Ignatious Pinto managed to get a land within the University Campus.

While the construction of the project was in progress Fr. Ignatious Pinto took up residecne in the site, sharing a part of the shed meant for workers and supervised it making a tremendous acrifice. Due to his courage, determination and perseverence Fr. Ignatious Pinto could make his dream a reality under two years. It was Fr. Ignatious Pinto who named the chapel with the inspiring choice 'Church of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom.'

Fr.Ignatious Pinto built the chapel in accordance with national concepts with Kandyan elements and Lotus shaped lamps etc. to fall in line with the early University buildings in Peradeniya. The triumphant climax of his thinking was the Mosaic of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom in saree in an indigenous framework with a Kandyan arch at the top. He commissioned the Goan artist Angela Trinidad to lay out the Mosaic. Such an outstanding Mosaic with an oriental flavour is not found in any other Catholic church in Sri Lanka.

There is a tendency among some to depict Blessed Virgin Mary in cloth and jacket and St.Joseph in national dress to bolster up the national ethos. This is absurd for in that event, in the West, Our Lady should be presented in frock and St. Joseph in coat and trousers.

It should be emphasised that Our Lady appeared in Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal in her usual Jewish dress and not in Western frock. As such the Blessed Virgin Mary has to be depicted in her usual garb even to present her with a national outlook. This aspect is magnificently dealt with in the Mosaic of the Church of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom.

At present the women in Sri Lanka expect some Muslim ladies do not cover their heads with the saree. The Jewish custom of covering the head is retained in the Mosaic. However, the saree and the manner it is worn has the oriental touch. As a result Our Lady is presented in her usual appearance with an oriental outlook. Any Sri Lankan or an Indian looking at the Mosaic could find her at home with his own native background.

Besides the Mosaic of the Church of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom is a fascinating work pregnant with meaning. The authority of Our Lady is manifested with a throne laid upon a Lotus which symbolises purity. The crest jewel in her crown and angels worshipping her makes her a queen. The seven lamps at her feet are interpreted as the light of the Holy Spirit, endowing the gifts of knowledge, understanding, wisdom, counsel, fortitude, piety and the fear of the Lord. The light emanating from the Holy Infant on her lap radiates 32 stars found in the background.

The Mosaic of the Church of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom encompasses all the virtues an undergraduate should possess when he or she comes out to the world.

As a whole this church is a masterpiece manifesting Sri Lankan national identity.

The chapel of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom with its indigenous art and architecture and its wonderful Mosaic with an oriental outtlook is a unique structure that adorns Peradeniya University Campus. It stands as a monement to its creator - the great and holy priest of God, erudite historian and founder Chaplain of Newman Society, Paradeniya, Fr.Ignatious Pinto.

Some past students of the Newman Society, Peradeniya had been contemplating for a long time to form a society. Accordingly, the Newman Society Alumini Association was formed in August 12, 1995 with Shirley Fernando P.C. as the President and Lionel Fernando as the Secretary. The present secretary of the association, Mark A. Warnakula, played a leading role to bring together past members of the Peradeniya Newman Society for the purpose.

In 1999 Fr. Claude Perera the then Chaplain of the Newman Society inaugorated the feast of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom with the participation of both the present members of the Newman Society and its alumini.

A significant feature of the first feast was the reception of a replica of the 13th century statue of Our Lady of the Seat of Wisdom through the intervention of Lionel Fernando, the then President of Newman Society Alumini, which was a gift by a congregation of nuns in UK.

Fr. Egerton Perera, the present chaplain of the Newman Society and the driving force behind the activities of both of society and its alumini has made arrangements to celebrate the feast this year with all the solemnity.

(The writer is a former High Court Jugde and a Vice-President of the Newman Alumini Association).

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