Brief History of the Province of Jaffna
The history of the Oblates in Sri Lanka can be traced back to the British colonial period at the end of the 18th Century; however, in this article, I would like to limit our scope mainly to the historical development of the Province of Jaffna beginning from the early 1960s.
Beginning of the Oblate tradition in Jaffna
It was at the request of Mgr. Orazio Bettacchini, an Oratorian from Italy and, then -Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna, the Oblates were sent to Sri Lanka in 1847. The first group of four Oblates arrived on the 28th of November 1847. After two years, in 1849, Jaffna was formally erected as an Apostolic Vicariate. From the beginning of the mission, the Oblates worked as a group, and their commitment was commendable in this challenging mission. Fr. Stephen Semeria, the superior of the first group, was appointed as the secretary to the Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna. Fr. Semeria was still young and had matured dramatically in virtue and religious life. He had learned the country‘s complexities and the Tamils’ complexed language. Eventually, Fr. Semeria was appointed Vicar General of the Jaffna Vicariate in August 1849. Mgr. Stephen Semeria OMI became the Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna after the death of Mgr. Orazio Bettacchini on July 26, 1857.
Mgr. Christopher Bonjean, OMI, succeeded Mgr. Semeria OMI as the Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Jaffna in 1868. During this period, the Vicariate of Colombo was given to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and Mgr. Christopher Bonjean OMI was appointed as the Vicar Apostolic of Colombo in 1883. Thus, out of the nine civil Districts, the Oblates were to minister in seven Districts under the two Vicariates of Colombo and Jaffna. The two remaining civil Districts formed the newly created Vicariate of Kandy and was entrusted to the Sylvester-Benedictines.
The Oblates in Sri Lanka, under one leadership
The Oblates worked in the two Vicariates of Colombo and Jaffna, and their ultimate authority was the Apostolic Vicar or the Bishop, under whom they served. 1907 was again a decisive year in the history of the Church in Sri Lanka and the Oblates in Sri Lanka. The Oblate General Administration wished to segregate and distinguish the authority of the Oblate mission from that of the diocesan.
Thus, the Oblate authorities of Jaffna and Colombo were amalgamated into one under the Vicar of Missions, named Vicariate of Ceylon, and appointed Fr. Jules Collin OMI as the first Vicar of Missions. In 1967, the Vicariate of Mission of Ceylon became the ‘Province of Ceylon’ which since 1973 has been renamed as ‘Province of Sri Lanka’. The expanding missionary work of the Oblates and the needs of the time demanded some alternatives in the leadership of the Province of Sri Lanka in 1961. Eventually, a Vicar Provincial was appointed for Jaffna on June 28, 1961. The Provincial of the Oblate Province of Sri Lanka, with the consent of his extraordinary Council and with the approval of Superior General, Rev. Fr. Zacharias Nicholas Croos OMI, was appointed as the Vicar Provincial. He was free to function and take initiatives in the areas of mission and formation in the region of Jaffna. And later there was a gradual move which paved the path to create the Oblate region of Jaffna into a delegation.
Jaffna as an independent Unit
There was a Provincial Congress of the Oblate Province of Sri Lanka on 18-24 July 1982 at the National Seminary, Ampitiya. The proposal came with the majority votes to make the Jaffna Delegation a Vice-Province. This proposal was accepted unanimously in the Provincial Council in September and was sent to Fr. General for approval and implementation. The General Administration, after a deep study of this proposal under the guidance of Very Rev. Fr. Fernand Jette OMI, the Superior General, organized with a written consultation with the members of the entire province, a canonical visit to Jaffna. The Provincial Delegation of Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, was made a General Delegation with effect on December 8, 1984, in the Plenary Session of the Oblate General Council, held in Rome in September –October 1984. Rev. Fr. Louis Ponniah OMI was appointed as the Superior of the General Delegation in the same Plenary Session. This General Delegation extends over the territories of Jaffna and Mannar.
General Delegation to Vice-Province
The General Delegation of Jaffna was raised to Vice-Province on August 23, 1989. Very Rev. Fr. Marcello Zago OMI, the Superior General, announced it officially during his official visit to Sri Lanka in 1989. Rev. Fr. Louis Ponniah OMI, the superior of the General Delegation, became the Provincial of the Vice Province of Jaffna. Rev. Fr. P.P. Philip Fernando OMI succeeded him and was installed on June 19, 1991. Rev. Fr. Philippiah Jesunesan OMI was appointed as Provincial Superior and took over on May 15, 1997. At the General Chapter of 1998, Rev. Fr. Philippiah Jesunesan OMI was elected as the General Councillor for Asia-Oceania.
Immediately after that, Rev. Fr. A. Jeevendra Paul OMI was appointed as the Vicar Provincial by the Superior General Rev. Fr. Wilhelm Steckling, and then appointed as Provincial Superior in January 1999.
A Full-Fledged Province of Jaffna
On his visit, the Superior General declared ceremonially that the Vice-Province of Jaffna had been made a full-fledged Province on the 8th of July 2001. The Decree of Promulgation was signed on the 12th of July 2001 in Rome by Very Rev. Fr. Wilhelm Steckling, the Superior General. Fr. A. Jeevendra Paul OMI became the first Provincial of the full-fledged Province of Jaffna.
Succeeding him, Rev. Fr. S. M. Selvaratnam, OMI (3 yrs.), Rev. Fr. Paul Nadchethiram, OMI, Rev. Fr. S.Edwin Vasantharajah, OMI, and Rev. Fr. Eugene Benedict OMI (2 yrs.) served in the Provincial leadership. In the 37th General Chapter in Rome Rev. Fr. Eugene Benedict OMI was appointed as the General Councilor for Asia Oceania on the 4th of Oct. 2022, and in January 2023, Rev. Fr. Paul Jeyanthan Pachchek OMI was appointed as Provincial Superior and was installed on the 17th of February 2023.
Development and Progress of Jaffna Province:
Since the erection of the Jaffna Province, the Oblates have made significant progress in vocation and ministry.
Establishing houses of Formation such as Scholasticate and Regional Pre-Novitiate. Many Oblates were trained academically and professionally during the last 30 years.
The growth of the Oblate vocations in the Province of Jaffna became a resource for responding to the requests to send missionaries to the other Oblate units.
Locally, the Oblates extended their service to the different dioceses in the country, such as Trincomalee, Badulla, Ratnapura, Galle, Batticaloa, and Kandy.
In addition to traditional Parish ministry and mission preaching, they initiated several specialized ministries, such as non-formal and tertiary education, psychological counseling, peace and reconciliation, youth ministry, spiritual direction, Hospital chaplaincy, rehabilitation of alcoholics and drug addicts, and Administering Marian Shrines.
Significant Infrastructures, properties and asserts have been developed to render relevant and profession ministries to the poor with many faces.
The Province of Jaffna is now blessed with 88 Oblates and 19 Scholastics. The Province consists of many young Oblates, which is a hopeful sign not only for the region of Asia-Oceania but also for the whole Congregation and the Church.