THE 8TH RECTOR – VERY REV. FR. JOE WICKREMASINGHE

9. Joseph Emmanuel Wickremasinghe

RECALLING THE HISTORY OF ST. PETER’S AS WE APPROACH THE CENTENARY YEAR…..

Having recorded the services of the two pioneering rectors, Rev. Frs. Maurice Le Goc and D J Nicholas Perera, in our opinion, the notables of St. Peter’s should include the longest serving Rector whose period at St. Peter’s is best described as the “renaissance period” or the “golden era”. Comparing the lengths of Rectorship of Fr. Nicholas Perera to Fr. Joe Wickremasinghe, Fr, Joe pips Fr. Nicholas by 3 months (Fr. Nicholas Perera’s 16 years and 5 months versus Fr. Wickremasinghe’s 16 years and 8 months)

For a change, instead of penning our own article on the much loved Rector we publish excerpts from a tribute paid by Rev. Fr. Saman Hettiarachchi, a nephew Fr. Joe.

Born on 31st January, 1935 as the fifth child in a family of six, Rev. Fr. Joseph Emmanuel Wickremasinghe or ‘Fr. Joe as he was affectionately known, had his early education in his home town of Pamunugama.

As a 14 year old he entered the St. Aloysius’ Minor Seminary, Borella in 1949 and subsequently, after his studies at the National Seminary Ampitiya, he was ordained a Priest of God on 21st December 1960.

His services at St. Peters began in July 1963, when he was appointed as Priest in charge of the boarders and Prefect of Studies and Discipline. “In an era when no student complained to parents about being caned at school, one dreaded his arrival in class to distribute report cards at the end of the term or being sent to his office for any misdemeanour committed. One was assured of what one deserved. However, he was always open to hear the other side of the story and was accommodative, provided he was convinced” recalls Algi Wijewickrema, a grateful Old Peterite, of his beloved Rector.

Though Prefect of Studies and Discipline, he was required to take a leading role in the affairs of the College from March 1967 to August 1968 when Fr. Basil Wiratunga was acting Rector in the absence of Fr. Mervyn Weerakkody who was overseas on account of higher studies.

For a period of ten years, from 1968 to 1977 St. Peter’s lost the services of Fr. Joe when he was transferred to serve in the Catholic Press and then to St. Joseph’s College. Later he was abroad for his postgraduate studies. Nevertheless Fr. Joe was destined to return to St. Peter’s in January 1978, this time as its Rector.

From challenging times faced by the College for a brief period prior to his return, upon taking over, Fr. Joe was able to clean the Augean stables. He first built up the people and raised the standard of the institution to prevent the exodus of promising students to other schools and inculcated in the minds of all concerned a sense of values and the appreciation of all that is good and proper.

Through his actions of giving due recognition to the experience of senior teachers and opening new opportunities for them, decentralising the roles of Prefects of Studies and Discipline by the appointment of Sectional Headmasters, introducing incentives to encourage the staff to raise the quality of teaching, the exodus of the bright students to other schools was reversed. His endeavours in harnessing the the stakeholders, students, teachers, Old Boys, parents and well-wishers to the utmost and garnering the support of all, resulted in St. Peter’s becoming financially viable very early in his Rectorship.

A master builder, Fr. Joe was able to generate nearly Rs.20 million within 16 years to upgrade the College infrastructure i.e. a 3 storied Science Block and Laboratory; a new Canteen and Vocational Training Centre; a 3 storied Primary School Extension; an elegant Swimming Pool – a dream come true for Peterites; a 3 storied Block at St. Peter’s College, Gampaha, which was launched by him as the first ever branch of any school in Sri Lanka; the new Dental Clinic; the Badminton and Basketball Courts; the TV Room; the Computer Room; the Junior Science Room and the new Office Block and a mini zoo for the primary school. To cap it all, in readiness for the 75th Anniversary of St. Peter’s in 1997, Fr. Joe collected enough funds to start yet another 4 storied Block of classrooms, Library and Auditorium, atop the Canal Side block of classrooms. Fr. Joe thus transformed the school into a modern institution and raised its profile in studies, sports and discipline. He also created scholarship funds to support students entering university.

On 5th September 1994 that familiar tall and wiry figure in white, retired from the Rectorship of St. Peter’s College.

Upon his departure from St. Peter’s, Fr. Joe was appointed Episcopal Vicar for the Negombo Region.

Perhaps it was the Divine plan that Fr. Joe should be back at St. Peter’s in May 2006, the day before his untimely death, to preside over the OBU’s Awards Ceremony, as its Chief Guest.