Origins and History of the National Catechetical Centre (NCC)

A special meeting was held in the Visitors’ parlour of the Colombo Archbishop’s house on January 09, 1965 at 9.00 a.m. Four members took part. Nobody guessed that it would be a turning point in the history of the Sri Lanka catechetical service. This historic meeting was pioneered and chaired by then Rev. Fr. W. Don Sylvester, later the Bishop of Galle. The other participants were Rev. Sr. Melani Wickramaratne SGS, who had just completed a special course in Catechetics in the Philippines, Mr. Paul Fernando – a retired engineer of the Railway Department and an active member of the Legion of Mary and Mr. Austin Dias, a government teacher and well-known Catechetical journalist.

The main item on the agenda was on how to revive the Catholic religious education that collapsed with the takeover of the Catholic schools by the then Government. The need for catechetical seminars especially for the students sitting for G.C.E. (O/L) and (A/L) examinations and a census of the Catholic students was emphasized. The tasks of the census and the visits to teachers were undertaken by Rev. Fr. Sylvester. Sr. Melani undertook to organize school seminars and to prepare a postal catechetical course. Mr. Austin Dias was put in charge of the Catechetical office, conducting the seminars and the postal course.

Their Catechetical office was situated in a 12 square feet room under the stairway at the remote end of the Archbishop’s house. It had an old table and a chair. Sr. Melani worked for three days a week in it and she and Mr. Dias created plans for the catechetical courses. Fr. Sylvester could find a type-writer and a manual duplicator machine. These two machines had to be kept in the adjoining “sick room” for lack of space in the office. Mr. Austin cut the stencils while Fr. Sylvester also helped in handling the duplicator.

The initial Catechetical course was based on the four volumes of the book on Christianity (translated from a German Catechesis book) and a Gospel (by the three year cycle). It was a novel project of the time. The pictures used in it were of a different style. Handling the book was challenging to the teachers. The candidates for examinations also had to face its consequences. Thus there arose a big demand for the postal course, too. Around 8000 students profited by it. Once the four volumes on Christianity became popular the postal course was abandoned. By then Fr. Sylvester was given a government appointment by the highest authority as the main school inspector on Catholic religious education in any school of the Island. He also became the Director of the Colombo Archdiocesan Catechetical Commission.

With the increase of the workload of services and responsibilities, the office under the staircase at the back was moved to a front room of the Archbishop’s house. Then it was moved to the former office room of the general manager of the schools and then again to the marriage tribunal room of the Archbishop’s house. In the aftermath of the National Catholic Conference held in1968 a new project on Catechism was launched: that is to establish a catechetical center in every Diocese and to appoint Fr. Sylvester as the National Director of Catechetics in order to coordinate the Diocesan centers and to oversee the catechetical work of the whole Island. Then three more additions were made to the staff to help in office work, typing and translation. The staff members were trained overseas. Rev. Sr. Gemma HF, Rita Fernando and Marie Fernado were enrolled during this period of time. Three full-time Tamil catechists, trained in Trivendam, India also joined the workforce. A suggestion to move the catechetical office to the ground floor of the Joe Neth studio did not materialize at this time.

With the increase of popular interest in Catechetics, another historic step was taken by way of opening a National training school in Catechetics at Tammita, Negombo with lecture halls, hostels and other facilities in view of imparting a training of international standards to the trainees, staffed by a board of 38 experts in various subjects. It was affiliated to the National Catechetical Center. But unfortunately it did not deliver the expectations: after the second batch the training school came to an end.

Year 1975 was a jubilee year of the Universal Catholic Church. To mark it Rome invited 450 catechists from 85 missionary countries. Five from Sri Lanka took part in it. The Archdiocesan representative was Mr. Austin Dias. During the 25 days of their stay, the attendees had the opportunity to share mutual experiences, to attend seminars, to visit historical places and the Holy Father.

Then came the time for the separation into the National and Colombo Diocesan Catechetical centers what had remained one entity thus far. Fr. Sylvester remained the National Director while Fr. Cyril S. Perera assumed duties as the Colombo Diocesan Director.

The National office was then shifted to the house no. 29, Norris Road. Due to dilapidated condition of the building, it was again moved to the Aquinas Institute. Due to lack of space therein, it was relocated to the ground floor of the Joseph Vaz Center, Borella. Then it was moved to its present location on the ground floor of the “Lankaramaya” National Bishops’ Conference facility at Balcolm Place, Borella.

Just as the NCC was physically changing places, so was it making inner changes by way of structural changes. Fr. Sylvester, the National Director became the Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo. By this time the National Catechetical Center had both Sinhala and Tamil streams. Rt. Rev. Dr. Diyogu De Pillai became the president of the National Catechetical Commission. He was also in charge of the Tamil division. The post of the National Director remained vacant until 1983 when a new National Director of the Sinhala division was appointed by the then president of the National Catechetical Commission, Rt. Rev. Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando. Until then Mr. Austin Dias was acting as the Director of the Sinhala division, thus displaying a rare opportunity for lay leadership.

As initially planned, seminars and conferences were conducted to instruct teachers and catechists from time to time. But they were not up to the mark. It was limited to the issuance of a certificate of participation in such seminars. In response to this situation, a publication by the name of “Daham Dahara” was distributed among teachers and students. 23 issues were published monthly and then it came to a halt. The abolition of the Tammita National training school put an end to the regular training of catechists. The voluntary catechists were apprentices without proper training who had passed the G.C.E. (O/L) and (A/L) examinations. They were not eligible to teach Christianity at Government schools if the opportunity would arise. Thus Mr. Austin Dias made a proposal to the National Catechetical Commission to form teachers in Christianity (Dharmacharya) through a long term program and to offer them a certificate. It was accepted unanimously by the National Bishop’s Conference at the behest of Rt. Rev. Dr. Diyogu Pillai, the Bishop of the Jaffna Diocese. The first entrance examination to the ‘Dharmacharya’ course was held in in 1983. The convocation ceremony of the first batch was grandly held in 1987 under the auspices of the then Archbishop in the Bishop Bonjean Hall at St. Joseph’s College, Maradana. Until 1995 Mr. Austin Dias had been in charge of conducting the ‘Dharmacharya’ examinations. Presently it is under the purview of Mr. Jude Ravindra Vinayasiri.

No consensus was reached on conducting classes the G.C.E. (A/L) candidates of Christianity in several places in the Island. Instead approval was granted to initiate a postal study course. Thus, from the year 1992 around 2000 have profited by this course.

The pioneering Director of Catechetics in Sri Lanka, Fr. Sylvester was consecrated as the Bishop of the Diocese of Galle. He died in 1995 as Bishop Emeritus of Galle.

Then Fr. Alex Dasanayaka of the Chilaw Diocese became the National Catechetical Director in 1984. Then the National Catechetical Center was housed at No. 11, Borella Cross Road, formerly owned by the FMM sisters. In 1992 the Education Unit was integrated under the able guidance of Bro. Thomas Philip. He initiated the Annual Teachers’ Day programme. For the distance learning program of primary and special teachers, 60 modules were composed during the tenure of Fr. Alex Dasanayaka. It is to be commended that he also initiated the Annual All-Island Bible Quiz program in collaboration with the Ceylon Bible Society. Also, the responsibility of composition of the revised editions of Christianity text books for primary classes was handed over to the National Catechetical Center. Sr. Margret Mary SGS played a pioneering role in compiling text books up to grade five. Sr. Ann Bernadette and Fr. Raphael Aloysius, OMI are also to be gratefully remembered for their services.

Fr. Alex Dasanayaka, after his long service of twelve years, was succeeded by Fr. Merl Mendis OMI. He initiated the publication of the magazine “Daham Maga” aimed at equipping students with necessary knowledge to face government exams. He served for six years from 1995 to 2001.

Then Fr. Cyril S. Perera became the National Director from 2001 to 2007. It was during his tenure that the NCC was relocated to its present and permanent place at the ground floor of the “Lankaramaya”, Balcolm Place, Borella.

In 2007, Fr. Nicholas Lowe of the Diocese of Chilaw took over as the Director of the NCC. Being a prolific writer he began publishing many periodicals. During his term of office, the Final Certificate examination of the Daham Pasala conducted by the State Examinations Department began to be annually held for G.C.E. (O/L) students in view of enhancing their religious knowledge.

In 2011 Fr. Piyal Janaka of the Diocese of Kurunegala took the helm of the NCC. The historic event of the Golden Jubilee of the NCC was celebrated during his office. He was instrumental in introducing the ‘Dharmacharya’ examination meant for the government appointments of teachers in Christianity in 2015. The full volume of the Catechism of the Catholic Church was translated during his term. He also hosted the AGM of the Catechetical Directors of the Asian region in 2015 in Sri Lanka at the Retreat House of the S.S.S. Congregation.

On June 06, 2019, Fr. Benet Shantha Fernando was appointed the Director of the NCC and the Bible Apostolate by the National Bishops’ Conference. He has been continuing the various services of the NCC with much dedication. He has already introduced the Residential National Training Program for teachers in Christianity in both Sinhala and Tamil languages.

Mr. Austin Dias is gratefully remembered for his contribution to the information on the initial era of the history of the NCC.

““Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.”

- The Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church -