Celebrating 180 Anniversary World Missionary Association in Sri Lanka, a gift of drinking water to impoverished school
The 180th anniversary of the World Missionary Childhood Association was held recently at the Kattimahana St. Anna National Shrine in Kurunegala Diocese. The Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and the Apostolic Nuncio Brian Udaigwe attended as chief guests. The 180th anniversary was celebrated with the participation of the animators and children of the Holy Childhood Association representing all the dioceses of the island. To celebrate the 180th anniversary, a drinking water facility for the poorest school in Kurunegala parish will be gifted.
“Children helping children” was the theme of the 180th anniversary.
The pioneer of planting the seed of the Holy Childhood Association in Sri Lanka is the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith 37 years ago.
Bishop Harold Anthony, President of the Sri Lanka Bishops’ Conference and Bishop of Kurunegala Diocese, and bishops of other Diocese attended the celebration which was held on the 02nd of December, morning 9.00 am to 12.00 noon.
The event was organized by the National Committee under the supervision of Father Basil Rohan Fernando, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in Sri Lanka.
Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith addressing the children and explaining the role of missionaries in depth, said, “I thank all of you for gathering like this. I invite you to continue the journey you have started because it is God who plans all of this. He will make your lives fruitful lives and It is through you that God will give birth to saints” he said.
Talking to Mojo News Father Basil Rohan Fernando the Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies said, “We limited the gathering of children for the event due to the difficulty of gathering children from all over Sri Lanka and leading them and the financial difficulty of spending for such a large number. Accordingly, except in Kurunegala and Chilaw Diocese, 50 children from each other districts and their animators were invited.
Father Basil Rohan said that almost 5350 missionary children including 2500 children from Kurunegala Diocese only participated as the Kurunegala and Chilaw Dioceses are close to the celebration area.
According to Father Fernando, about 400 hundred Religious Sisters and Fathers who blossomed from the Holy Childhood Societies, former Diocesan director Priests, who are serving in the Holy Childhood societies at present attended the celebration.
Father Fernando said that the spiritual service was concluded by giving the Eucharistic blessing by conducting a short meditation in both Sinhala and Tamil
languages, followed by singing the theme song, cutting the jubilee cake, flying 180 balloons, and various activities and special features.
According to Father Basil Rohan, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith started the missionary childhood association in Sri Lanka in Higurakgoda, Anuradhapura, and it has been 37 years since the missionary childhood association was established in Sri Lanka, and the service of the 11 active persons (Animators) who are still working for the missionary childhood association since the beginning was also felicitated in this celebration.
Celebrating the 175 anniversary the PMS could facilitate a house for the poorest family in Hingurakgoda in the Diocese of Anuradhapura where the first Missionary Childhood Association was established, and this time the 180th anniversary will be gifted with a drinking water facility for the poorest school in the Diocese of Kurunrgala, added Father Basil Rohan.
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