Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Tuesday, 14 July 2020 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Pope Francis yesterday appointed a new auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Fr. Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam, a priest of the archdiocese, is the third auxiliary bishop of the metropolitan archdiocese. 
The 53-year old priest has been appointed the third auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese, which is headed by Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
The other two auxiliary bishops of Colombo are Maxwell Silva and J.D. Anthony Jayakody, appointed in 2011 and 2018 respectively.
53-year-old Fr. Pillainayagam is currently the Vice Rector of St. Joseph’s College in Colombo and director of the Tamil Theologate.
Father Pillainayagam was born on 23 September 1966 in Jaffna, northern Sri Lanka. He completed primary and secondary studies in Colombo and Jaffna. He studied philosophy at the St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Jaffna and theology at the National Seminary of Kandy. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from the University of Jaffna, a Master’s in Education from the University of Middlesex (UK) and a Masters in Philosophy from the University of Jaffna.
He was ordained a priest on 16 September 2000 in the Cathedral of St. Lucia in Colombo.
After his priestly ordination, he has held the following responsibilities: 2000-2004 – Staff of St. Peter’s College, Colombo; 2004-2005 – M aster’s course at the University of Middlesex, UK; 2006-2007 – Staff of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa; 2007-2012 – Staff of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo; 2012-2014 – Vice Rector of St. Peter’s College, Colombo; since 2014 – Vice Rector of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, and since 2009 – Director of Tamil Theologate.
