Category: Sri Lanka

Remembering Fr Reid Shelton Fernando

Former CCI, Christian Workers Movement and Sri Lanka YCW chaplain, F Reid Shelton Fernando, a renowned human rights activist during the nation’s bitter civil war and a former head of UCA New’s bureau in the country, was laid to rest on June 3.

Fr Reid died at a retirement facility in the national capital, Colombo, on June 1 at the age of 80, the Colombo archdiocese said without giving a cause of death.

He was buried in the cemetery of St. Carlo Borromeo’s Church in Willorawatta, on the outskirts of Colombo.

Fr Reid was also known for extending his vocation beyond his regular Church duties to help support people from all walks of life.

Ruwini Sithara, a member of the Kithudana Pubuduwa, the country’s most significant Catholic renewal movement, highlighted Father Fernando’s leadership roles as a human rights defender and a lay Catholic leader.

“The priest rendered invaluable services by training lay Catholic leadership as the national chaplain of the Christian Workers’ Movement (CWM) and Young Christian Workers’ Movement (YCW). He mobilized factory workers in the Free Trade Zones with the backing of the CWM and the YCW,” Sithara told UCA News on June 3.

She said Fr Fernando was a member of the Congress of Religions and the Inter-Religious Peace Foundation.

Soon after the civil war, the priest testified before the government-appointed Lessons Learnt Reconciliation Commission “to present evidence” in 2010, said Sithara.

Fr Reid stood as the sole advocate demanding justice for enforced disappearances, including ten priests who were reported missing during the 26-year conflict in the island nation that claimed more than  80,000 lives when rebels sought to carve out a separate state.

The priest also compiled a theological dictionary in Sinhala, the most popular language in the Indian Ocean nation, to popularize theology among local lay students.

“Seven volumes have been already published,” said Sithara.

He also edited the local theological magazine, the Shravaka.

The priest was widely recognized in Sri Lanka for his writings and commentaries on social and political issues in newspapers.

Joe William, chairman of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, said, “We mourn his passing and acknowledge his invaluable efforts in advancing peace and reconciliation within and beyond the Church.”

Sunimal Sudeera, a rights activist and former YCW colleague of the priest, said Father Fernando was against the executive presidency followed by Sri Lanka and started a campaign to abolish the sweeping powers given to the nation’s president.

In his autobiography, the priest recounted being transferred to a remote parish in 1992, where authorities urged him to “produce results” because of his outspokenness.

Fernando was born in November 1943 and graduated from the National Seminary in 1970, after which he was ordained a priest.

SOURCE

Renowned Sri Lankan activist priest laid to rest (UCA News)

Colombo commemorates Cardijn

“Our Lady said, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ So in our life we must always try to live according to the teachings of Christ. Only in this way will we improve our mission as Christian workers in this society”, said Fr Sixtus Kurukulasuriya marking the 129th anniversary of the birth of Cardinal Joseph Cardijn.

Also present at the function were Fr Ernest Porutota whom together with Fr. Kurukulasuriya have contributed to the growth of the YWC, and Fr Reid Shelton Fernando, YCW chaplain for the diocese of Colombo.

The YCW was founded in Sri Lanka in the late 1940s. The young members of this movement then created its “adult” counterpart, the Christian Workers Movement (CWM) in 1953. In the late ’60s, the Cwm has grown at an international level.

“The mission of Cardinal Cardijn – said Fr Porutota in his homily – it is very important. With his method, he wanted to raise the real quality of life, following in the footsteps of Jesus. “

Vivian Silva is one of the senior members of the CWM: “Our faith has no value unless we put it into practice in everyday life. We should not forget that every time we practice the Word of Jesus, we make it alive and present in our society. “

Fr Reid Shelton Fernando told AsiaNews that “the mission of Cardinal Cardijn helped me in my priesthood and my pastoral activities. I want the members of the CWM to be fully involved in workers issues and to support their struggles. It is important that they have full knowledge of the Social Doctrine of the Church. “

The Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka considers the inter-group and not national. Currently it has between 300 and 400 members in four dioceses. Nationally, there are about 50 groups, 23 in the Archdiocese of Colombo.

SOURCE

Colombo commemorates Card. Cardijn, promoter of mission in the world of work (Asia News)

Sri Lankans seek justice for ‘missing’ priest

Parents and relatives of a Sri Lanka priest and a layman who disappeared five years ago amid fighting between security forces and the Tamil Tigers have urged the government to seek justice for the clergyman.

The call came during a Mass last weekend for Father Thiruchchelvan Nihal Jim Brown and Wenceslaus Vimalathas, both of whom have been missing since August 20, 2006, ucanews.com reports.

The two men were last seen on a motorbike at a checkpoint in Allaipiddy, an area that at the time was tightly controlled by security forces.

Nearly three decades of civil war ended in 2009 when government forces defeated the Tamil Tigers. An estimated 100,000 lives were lost during the conflict, including six priests and several church workers.

Ruki Fernando, a representative of the Law and Society Trust and a CCI member, remembered Fr. Jim as a young priest who selflessly devoted himself to the needs of his parishioners.

Fr. Jim had taken up a new post as parish priest at St. Philip Neri Church in Allaipiddy, about 300 kilometers north of Colombo, only 10 days before his disappearance, he told ucanews.com

The priest had offered refuge to local residents during a night of heavy shelling on August 12, 2006. More than 20 people were killed that night and many more sustained injuries though Fr. Jim escaped unharmed.

“Will we ever know what happened to him and thousands of others who have disappeared? And will those responsible ever be identified and brought to justice?” he asked?

“Could we even have reconciliation within the Catholic Church? What does reconciliation mean to the families and friends of Fr. Jim and Vimalathas and countless other families of disappeared people?”

SOURCE

Laymen seek justice for missing priest (ucanews.com)

CCI condemns violence against workers

Cardijn Community condemns violence against struggling workers in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Cardijn Community International (CCI), an international development network, is deeply distressed at the way the workers’ struggles are handled in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

In Indonesia, the PT Micro Garment Plant workers in Bandung are on strike from May 6 demanding reduction of working hours to 10 hrs a day and protesting against the dismissal of 460 workers during the dispute.

It has been brought to our notice that the police force which behaves as if they are the custodians of the property of the management used ‘force’ and brutally attacked the striking workers to disperse them from the factory gate. A pregnant woman was kicked by the police and had a ‘miscarriage’ and lost her baby. The police have cordoned off the area from May 31 parking their vehicles to prevent the workers from assembling at the factory site.

However, the workers are ceaselessly continuing the struggle in the hope of succeeding in their demands. International solidarity is gaining momentum and pressure is being mounted on the government of Indonesia to intervene in the dispute and render justice.

CCI is equally disturbed at the violence unleashed by the police on Monday, 30 May on the Free Trade Zone workers from Garment Factories who were protesting against a Private Sector Pension Bill which does not guarantee pension to the workers. Fr. Reid Fernando, Animator of the Young Christian Workers of Colombo Archdiocese has issued a statement condemning the ‘violence
generated by the police’. Log on to www.cardijn.info for more details.

We call upon the trade unions, civil society organizations and the international community to extend their support to the struggling workers in these two countries.

We also call upon the governments of Indonesia and Sri Lanka to intervene and render justice to the struggling workers and bring to rein in the erring and overzealous authorities.

For CCI International Coordination,
M. J. Ruben
International Convenor
June 1, 2011

Sri Lanka YCW chaplain condemns police violence

Sri Lankan worker chaplain Father Reid Shelton Fernando has unequivocally condemned violence “generated by the police” in clashes on Monday that injured many people in clashes between police and Free Trade Zone workers from garment factories who were protesting against a private sector pension bill.

“The violence generated by the police has to be condemned totally. Some law enforcing officers behaved in a very unbecoming manner — kicking workers and dragging them along the road,” said Father Reid Shelton Fernando, chaplain for the Young Christian Workers movement in Colombo archdiocese. Two police officers have since been arrested, ucanews.com reports.

About 100 workers have been hospitalized, some with bullet wounds. Police personnel were also injured.

“There should be an impartial investigation to find out what exactly happened,” Father Fernando said.

According to the priest, the government will provide 33 percent of the workers’ retirement fund but will not guarantee them a pension.

SOURCE

Priest condemns attack on workers (ucanews.com)

The story of Fr Henk Schram and the Sri Lanka YCW

Dutch historian Jo Schoormans has published a new article on the history of the Sri Lankan YCW and the role of Dutch-born YCW chaplain Father Henk Schram.

“From far Ceylon five former Young Christian Workers, now Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, come and show you [by way of letter] their gratitude and sympathy.” Belgian nuns wrote these words in 1947 to Joseph Cardijn, who was reputed as the great man of the YCW, writes Jo Schoormans.

“Some of the Sisters of Ragama, who payed a tribute to Joseph Cardijn, owed their religious vocation to the YCW. At the time, they were too busy caring for tubercular patients, unabling them to build up a youth movement. The sisters yearned for the opportunity of sacrificing themselves.0

“‘Ceylon’s sun is not too hot. The deaf and blind who have been entrusted to us, are not too exacting. Our beloved ones are not too far away, if one has good intentions and knows for whom one is working’, a sister wrote. In 1948, sisters could already inform YCW international headquarters of a movement of Catholic young workers in Colombo, led by fathers Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Read the rest of Jo Schoorman’s article here:

Henk Schram (1919 – 84), Father of the workers

South Asian YCS leaders meet

South Asian YCS leaders have met in Sri Lanka to discuss building a regionwide culture of action to solve climate, food and rights issues.

Some 30 students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka attended the 10th International Young Christian Students Movement (YCS) forum, organized by the YCS Sri Lanka branch, in Tewatta, ucanews.com reports.

During the week-long meeting that ended Sunday, students discussed ways to build a culture of action to control global problems of climate change, food crisis and human rights violations.

The YCS international members in over 85 countries are ready for the international challenges and contributions to manage the problems, Reyne Clemena, YCS Asian coordinator told ucanews.com.

“We (students) have a capability to achieve the goal,” said the Filipino girl, as their Church-run movement has 200 members in Pakistan, 4,000 in Sri Lanka, 166 in Nepal, 9,000 in Bangladesh and 175,000 in India, within the South Asian region.

The region has already experienced more fallout from climate change than other continents and it still continues to suffer from threats such as rising sea levels, forest degradation, floods, cyclone and tsunami and food shortage.

At the end of the conference, the YCS members outlined activities for their 2011-2013 action plans. They include tree-planting, poster campaigns, dry foods collection and distribution to the needy, food waste control, school fundraising, demonstrations and awareness programs through seminars, debate and workshops.

Meanwhile, Father Patrick Simon Gomes, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Youth in Bangladesh, said they have taken steps to promote the use of bags, wall mats and calendars made of textiles rather than plastic.

SOURCE

South Asian students take on world problems (ucanews.com)