Jaffna’s very own Irishman: Fr. Charles Henry Lytton OMI-by Avishka Mario Senewiratne
Source:Island
Early days of the Irish Oblate
Born on May 25, 1847, Charles Henry Lytton hailed from Dublin, Ireland. Little is known of his childhood and early days. However, it is known that his mother lived until 1893 and he had no less than seven sisters. He received his education from a College run by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Dublin. After choosing to be a priest, 22-year-old Lytton joined the Anglo-Irish Province of Oblates. He passed the Oblate Novitiate in Sicklingball, Yorkshire in 1869. On September 12, 1870, he made his First Profession of Vows in Belmont. A year later, he made his Final Profession of Vows in Autun, France.
From 1871 to 1875 he did his scholastic studies in Autun. He was ordained by Msgr. Adolphe Perraud, Bishop of Autun (a Cardinal after 1893), on May 15, 1875. After his ordination, Fr. Lytton travelled back to Dublin to visit his family. Learning that he was to leave for Ceylon, a distant island colonised by the British, his mother and sisters were shattered.
On the day of his departure, his sisters and mother guarded his room so that he would not leave. However, during the night he quietly came out of his room and bade farewell to his mother. When his sisters woke up the next morning, they ran to the shore only to see him on a boat to the steamer which was to leave for Ceylon. Later, when his mother wrote a letter asking him to visit them, he responded in a letter saying: “You and I are good Christians and we will meet each other in heaven.”. A few months later, he would set foot for the first time in Ceylon on September 27, 1875. This was to serve the Vicariate of Jaffna under Msgr. Christopher Bonjean OMI.
Tough Start in Jaffna
Young Fr. Lytton was not all too excited with what he saw in Ceylon. Jaffna was plagued by a smallpox and cholera epidemic which spread to every nook and corner of the Peninsula, causing unprecedented suffering and deaths. In a letter dated May 15, 1876, to Fr. Joseph Fabre, Msgr. Bonjean writes: “Fr. Lytton has been struck by an eruption called ring-worm impetigo, which gives him little sleep, affects his general health and his morale too. Up to now, he has hardly learnt any Tamil. I do not know what to think of him.” (Perniola, (2005), The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka: The British Period, Vicariates of Colombo and Jaffna, 1864-1878, Volume V, p. 575)
For centuries, Jaffna had been domiciled by people from South India. Their language was Tamil, which goes back to ancient times. Not knowing Tamil or having no interest in learning the language and yet trying to work in Jaffna was nothing but a grave error. Fr. Lytton failed to understand this as a young missionary. His relationship with Bishop Bonjean was soon marred by it. His lack of interest in missionary work, propelled by his illness, weakened him gradually.
Soon, he avoided meals and neglected his health. To make matters worse, he had fallen out of favour with Bishop Bonjean. By June 1876, Fr. Lytton who had hardly been in Ceylon for nine months, had opted to leave. Following are some extracts of a letter by Msgr. Bonjean to his Vicar General, Fr. Dominique Pulicani OMI: “Just now I have received another letter from Fr. Lytton, who has been reasonable and made up his mind to go away since he has concluded that he cannot exercise his ministry in this country… If this young man has fully made up his mind to leave us, I do not see what interest we might have to retain him.” (Ibid., p. 589)
In a letter dated July 14, 1876, Bp. Bonjean residing in the outskirts of Vanni wrote to Fr. Fabre: “One day in the presence of all the Fathers, I said I would test the two new priests on their knowledge of Tamil. Then Fr. Lytton replied, ‘We must live before we learn Tamil’… this Father was morally rather than physically ill. So, I called him a little later and, in the course of the conversation, he told me in a very decisive manner that he cannot live in Ceylon, that he cannot cope with the climate, the food, the people, the ministry. He recalled to me that he had told me at our very first interview, that he never had any vocation for the foreign missions, and still less for Ceylon and that before his departure told Your Paternity that he could not remain at all.” (Ibid., p. 597)
The above extract shows how much prejudice young Fr. Lytton had for Ceylon. He was one of the first Irish priests to arrive in Ceylon. He must have assumed that knowing English and French might be adequate in Ceylon. One must remember that Ireland and England had a rivalry for centuries. The Irish people were somewhat oppressed by the dominant English, in their neighbourhood and elsewhere. What was manifested in Fr. Lytton was what one would call the ‘prejudice of the oppressed’. This is quite understandable, yet by no means justifiable.
Though Bishop Bonjean seemed to have encouraged Lytton’s departure, Bishop Bonjean realised what the young priest was going through. As a result, Bonjean the firm administrator laid off his usual ways, came to Fr. Lytton as a paternal guide and instructed him gently to rectify his mistakes. He counselled him and encouraged him towards a spiritual life over temporal affairs.
Inspired by his Superior, Fr. Lytton radically changed his ways. Msgr. Bonjean asked Fr. Fabre to write to Fr. Lytton, encouraging him to get on with his ministry. In a letter dated December 11, 1876, to Fr. Fabre, Bp. Bonjean stated: “Fr. Lytton is all right. I have him entirely under my control and I hope that we’ll be able to record a complete and definitive victory.” (Ibid p. 616) By February 1877, Fr. Lytton was busy, seriously studying Tamil. In April, Bp. Bonjean stated the following to Fr. Fabre: “Fr. Lytton has overcome his difficulties; he begins to speak Tamil and this will enable him not to yield to discouragement as he did in the past.” (Ibid., p. 626)
Success in Jaffna
With time, Fr. Lytton was well accustomed to the people of Jaffna. Despite the weary plague continuing, he cherished working for the people. From his utter reluctance to work for those poor souls, he had within a few months converted to the extent that the people witnessed his work as a ‘veritable ministering angel’. Fr. Lytton initially served as the Parish Priest of Kayts and then Valigamam East (Tholagatty) from 1875 to 1882. In 1882, he was allowed to serve in a College. This was St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna. Started as Jaffna Catholic English School by Msgr. Orazio Bettacchini in 1850, St. Patrick’s College was renamed and managed by the Oblates in 1881 and Fr. John Smythe was appointed as the first Rector.
Fr. Lytton was able to successfully serve as a teacher and educator after years of work in missions. During this time, he was able to build a Catholic Library in Jaffna. Undoubtedly, working for a College was his forte. When Bonjean was appointed by Papal Decree to head the Southern Vicariate in 1883, he had to leave Jaffna along with a group of priests including Smythe. Hence, Fr. Lytton was appointed as the second Rector of St. Patrick’s College.
His brief tenure as Rector of St. Patrick’s was a very successful endeavour. Fr. Lytton advocated for elocution and music. It was said that during his time, the boys of St. Patrick’s spoke a ‘different English’ from those of any other school in Jaffna. ((Jesuthasan, Philip, (2001) op. cit., Volume 2, part 1, p. 168) He stressed the importance of discipline to both teachers and students alike. He was much appreciated for his ability in character building, tactfully solving the problems of the youth and ensuring that they attain downright manliness.
For these reasons, his workings have been labelled as the ‘Lytton tradition’ at St. Patrick’s College. (St. Patrick’s Annual, 1925, p. 88) However, in 1885, Fr. Lytton came into a certain conflict with the Government, regarding an issue connected with the examinations. This drastically resulted in a decline in his authoritative role as Rector. As the number of students plummeted to a mere 160 in 1886, his role became untenable. (Boudens, Robrecht OMI, (1979), Catholic Missionaries in a British Colony: Success and Failures in Ceylon 1796-1893, p. 157)
A true supporter of the people of Jaffna
Despite his unfortunate exit from St. Patrick’s, Fr. Lytton’s reputation did not decline for he, by then, was known to be a ‘people’s presbyter’. In 1887, his leadership and pragmatic skills were much in demand with yet another outbreak of cholera in the peninsula. This was more severe than the previous epidemic. To make matters worse, there was a shortage of medical practitioners and sanitary facilities were poor in Jaffna. Fr. Lytton and his confreres would perform the tasks of physician, nurse and overseer. Visiting the victims courageously, he administered to the sick and buried the dead. His genuine concern for the welfare of the suffering people spread across the region in no time. What was more heart-warming to learn was that he treated all those who were in need, irrespective of their faith. By the time the epidemic faded away, Fr. Lytton had won the hearts of his people.
For many years, he had noticed that the Jaffna peninsula was severely neglected when compared to the rest of the country and that it was overpopulated. Furthermore, though the Vanni area was blessed with water and rich soil, there were no toilets. Transportation through thick forests and narrow roads would severely dampen any kind of business activity. He realised that the people of the North were living a life far different from those of the South.
Studying these serious problems, Fr. Lytton was convinced that the creation of a railway line to the North, joining it to the South of the country, might solve the issues of the people of the North. Though the idea to build a Northern Railway line was the brainchild of Fr. Michael Murphy OMI who had agitated for it, his untimely death resulted in Fr. Lytton having to campaign solo. Convinced by his plausible theory, he interviewed several people and addressed the issue outspokenly in public (Martyn, John, (1923) Notes on Jaffna, Jaffna, pp. 237, 279)
Despite his indomitable will and imposing personality, he was not short of adversaries. Though his intention was honourable, some rejected it and ridiculed it as the ‘Railway to the Moon’. Fr. Lytton’s campaign to instigate the railway line started in the late 1880s. However, it would take no less than 15 years to see the work begin. Despite the opposition of powerful detractors, his resolve remained equally powerful. In 1891, Fr. Lytton was called to join the Archdiocese of Colombo. Archbishop Bonjean had planned to start a Catholic College and wanted no one else but Fr. Lytton to collaborate with him.
Fr. Lytton’s sense of loss over Jaffna was as difficult for him to bear as it was for the people of the peninsula. After a reluctant start as a missionary, he had toiled for 16 years in Jaffna, and by the time of his departure, ‘Fr. C.H. Lytton’ was a household name. A deputation of Catholics, Protestants, Hindus and Muslims in Jaffna went to meet Msgr. Andrew Melizan OMI, the Bishop of Jaffna, with a request to retain Fr. Lytton. Knowing that Bishop Melizan would not change his decision, they organised a demonstration in honour of Fr. Lytton at the Catholic Library. In a letter dated April 17, 1891, to Fr. L. Soullier OMI, Bishop Melizan writes the following:
“I think I have already mentioned to you that Mgr. Bonjean yielding to the obsessions of the inhabitants of Colombo, has decided to establish a College like the one of Jaffna.; for this, he has asked me for Fr. Lytton, to launch the enterprise. Though it costs me a good deal to lose such a priest, I have consented on condition that he replaces him with a good missionary.” (Perniola, (2009), The Catholic Church of Sri Lanka: The Diocese of Jaffna, 1887-1923, Volume 12, p. 50) The missionary who replaced Fr. Lytton in Jaffna was Fr. L.G. Farbos O.M.I.
When the hour of Fr. Lytton’s departure to Colombo came a great concourse of people, comprising all communities, escorted him to the steamer Lady Havelock. Though he was more involved with the affairs of starting St. Joseph’s in Colombo, once he befriended Sir Joseph West Ridgeway, he knew that the matter about the railway line could be achieved too. Furthermore, he readily received the support of John Ferguson, the Editor of the Ceylon Observer to publish his reasonable demands on the railway line.
When Fr. Lytton visited England, he directly approached Joseph Chamberlain, the Secretary of State to the Colonies and explained the significance of the railway line. A few years later, the first stage of the railway was completed but it was only in 1904 that the Jaffna railway line became a reality. When Sir Frederick Saunders visited Ceylon, he made one condition, namely that if he were to travel to the North by train, he should be accompanied by Fr. Lytton. And so, it was. The two of them were warmly welcomed and all were in high spirits. When Fr. Lytton first visited the Railway Station of Jaffna, the following address was made to honour him:
“A grateful people offer you a hearty welcome on the occasion of your first visit to Jaffna, after the opening of the Northern Railway. We missed you greatly when the first section of the Railway was opened in 1902, but we rejoice in the opportunity given now to congratulate you face-to-face on the greatest achievement of your life and to tell you how thankful we are for a boon we owe in the first instance to you. It was you that first conceived the idea of a Railway to Jaffna and it is you who was in the forefront of the battle, with the energy and persistence characteristic of your race, and you have had the satisfaction of proving that your scheme was no tantalising vision, and that was called a Railway to the Moon, was one of the most sensible things a government could do, to benefit a most deserving and loyal section of His Majesty’s subjects.
“Thanks to your unceasing efforts and the earnest sympathy and support of noble-hearted gentlemen, among whom Sir F.R. Saunders and the Hon. P. Ramanathan stand foremost, the isolated North has been brought near to the seat of the Government, the way opened for the development of the vast resources of the Vanni and a clear source of the profit shown to a diffident Government.” (Blue and White, (1925), Volume 21, p. 7)
Fr. C.H. Lytton’s work in Colombo was as successful as that of Jaffna. It was he who gathered a number of local benefactors to establish St. Joseph’s College and once funds were short, he went back to Europe. This was to find more benefactors as well as a quality set of teachers. This he did with great success and saw that the College would start on a high note in 1896.
After being the Vice-Rector of the College for 14 years, he served as Rector between 1910 and 1912. Though he lost a limb towards the end of his life he played an important role as the military chaplain of Colombo. It was he founded many workers’ movements and the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Colombo. In December 1924, Fr. Lytton passed away at 74, after nearly half a century in an island nation, he considered his own.
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