Province of Sri Lanka and Pakistan

This brief history of the Province of Sri Lanka is part of the legacy of St. Marcellin Champagnat. It began in the year 1885, 45 years after the death of Fr. Marcellin Champagnat the founder of the Marist Brothers, with a request for Marist Brothers from the Sri Lankan Catholic Church to the higher Superiors in France . Several other requests too had been made but the response had been negative, owing to there being a dearth of Brothers with a fair knowledge of English. At last, in 1910, when the Jesuit Provincial of Trincomalee Diocese, appealed for Brothers, the Major Superiors sent five French Brothers to Sri Lanka . These Brothers reached Sri Lanka on the March 24th 1911. A few days later, they started their teaching apostolate in the Jesuit-managed school St. Michael’s College, in Batticalo.

March 24th 1911 first group of five Marist Brothers arrived by ship to Colombo, Sri Lanka from St. Genis, France. Bro. Peter Leo (35), Bro. Paul Leo (19), Bro. Francis Anthony (18), Bro. Jules Lawrence (17) and Bro. Maria Chrysostom (17). They were welcome by the De La Salle Brothers in Colombo before leaving to Baticalo St. Michael’s College run by Jesuits.

The early Marist Brothers maintained a good relationship with the local people wherever they served. To become a part of their lives, through the Jesuits they learned Sinhala, Tamil and English languages spoken by the majority in Sri Lanka. After few years the Marist Brothers took over the St. Michael’s College Baticalo under the province of British IsIes. Having finished contract in Baticalo, in 1919 they took the charge of the St. Mary’s College Negombo under the Chinese Province. In 1924 they transfer their site to another area in the same town, renamed the school as Maris Stella College and registered as an institution owned by the Marist Brothers which is now developed into an excellent standard and this exists today as a grate to the years’ presence in Sri Lanka.
1928 St. Joseph ’s College, Bandarawela.

1934 Joseph Vaz College.

1943 Christ the King College.

1949 Our Lady’s Hermitage Hermitage.

1963 Marist Novitiate.

1966 Mission in Pakistan – together with one Brother each from USA , Melbourne and Sydney . One English Medium school, and a hostel run for Urdu speaking students.

1974 Marist Center Trichy, India.

1974 Champagnat Scholasticate, Provincial House -Marcellin Niwasa, Negombo.

1979 Marist Agricultural Institute.

1978 – Holy Cross College – Kalutara.

1982 – St. Thomas ’ College – Kotte.

1985 – St. Joseph ’s College, Nugegoda.

1989 – Electro Technical School Negombo.

Kalpitiya Community.

Waradala Marist Education center.

Professed Brothers 36

One missionary Brother from Seidne Province, Australia.

Four Sri Lankan Marist Brothers working as missionaries in Pakistan.

by Br. Nilupul fernando, FMS – Sri Lanka