CENTENARY OF ST. PETER’S COLLEGE – By Algi Wijewickrema
Dear Old Peterites,
18th July (today) will be exactly 18 months or one and half years for St. Peter’s College, our Alma Mater, to celebrate its century on 18th January 2022.
In order that we recall and pay tribute to the many pioneers who were responsible for its creation and guiding it in the formative years and top rung achievers produced by this great institution we hope to publish a few brief lines on a few key individuals who have left indelible marks.
We will endeavour to post these initially on a monthly basis commencing from today (18th July) but may be published more frequently as we approach the milestone.
We trust you will appreciate that these will be very brief notes and not be lengthy write ups which will be reserved for the celebrations proper.
We begin with the revered Fr. Maurice Le Goc who was the person we have to acknowledge as the one who was responsible for the creation of our beloved Alma Mater.
Rev. Fr. Maurice Le Goc who was the initiator and creator of St. Peter’s College was Rector of St. Joseph’s College when he together with the then Archbishop of Colombo, Rev. Dr. John Marie Masson laid plans for the creation of the school which we now know as St. Peter’s College.
Born in France Fr. Le Goc came to Ceylon in 1914 and by 1919 had been appointed Rector of St. Joseph’s College. Having found the land beside the Wellwatte canal he lost no time in purchasing the block and designed the buildings himself.
He took a personal interest in the construction work and ensured completion for the opening of the school on 18th January 1922 as St. Joseph’s College South.
Rev. Fr. D J Nicholas Perera was appointed Manager of the fledgling school and later became the 1st Rector of St. Peter’s College.
The Catholics in general and Peterites in particular owe debt of gratitude to Fr. Maurice Le Goc for his visionary actions in the 1920s which has enabled generations of Peterites to be educated in this august institution.
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