COLOMBO — Many Oblates from the Province of Colombo gathered at the De Mazenod Provincialate in Colombo-15 on 21 May 2026 to celebrate the feast of their founder, Saint Eugene de Mazenod.

A Challenging Message of Faith

The day’s proceedings commenced with a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Provincial Superior, Very Rev. Fr. Roshan Silva, O.M.I. In his homily, Fr. Roshan reflected on the historic sermon delivered by a young Fr. Eugene at the Church of the Magdalene in Aix-en-Provence on Ash Wednesday, 24 February 1813.

He reminded the congregation that the Founder’s radical words from that morning still hold the power to deeply challenge and disturb us today:

“Come now… and see who you are in the eyes of faith. You, the poor of Jesus Christ, the sick and suffering… listen to me. You are children of God… more precious before God than all the riches of the world.”

Fr. Roshan emphasized that Saint Eugene continues to speak directly to us, offering profound hope to anyone who feels abandoned, dismissed, or ignored by modern society.

New Launches

Following the Holy Mass, the gathering posed for a commemorative group photograph before moving to the hall at Joseph Gerard House for the remainder of the programme.

Fr. Provincial delivered a brief address, warmly welcoming everyone in attendance, with a special mention of the four Scholastics visiting from the Jaffna Province. He then highlighted two significant milestones for the Province scheduled ahead of the festive meal:

• The Launch of the New Formation Directory: Fr. Andrias Fernando, Chairman of the Formation Committee, officially handed over the newly completed Directory to the Fr. Provincial.

• The Unveiling of the Province’s New Website: Fr. Shanil Jayawardena invited Fr. Provincial to officially launch the website by clicking the ceremonial button. This was followed by a brief presentation by Fr. Shanil, who guided the members through the registration process for the exclusive internal family portal reserved for the Oblates of the Province.

The celebration concluded in a warm atmosphere of brotherhood as everyone enjoyed a festive lunch together before returning to their respective mission stations.