“Our Greetings with gratitude for  your 13 years of dedicated and committed service at  Caritas EHED”

 

A function to felicitate Rev. Fr. Prof. T. Sritharan Sylvester who was the Director of Caritas EHED, Batticaloa-Kalmunai   who toiled untiringly for the uplifting of the people in the Eastern Province was held on the 22nd September, 2009 at the Fr. Fontana Hall, Miani Nagar, Thannamunai, Batticaloa.

The function organized by Rev. Fr. Cryton Outschoorn the present Director and the staff of Caritas EHED was attended by a large gathering of about 300 invitees   including the dignitaries Rt. Rev.  Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, Chairman, Justice, Peace and Human Development Commission, and  Bishop of Kurunegala, Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Kingsley Swampillai, Bishop of Trincomalee- Batticaloa, Rt. Rev. Dr. Ponniah Joseph, Auxiliary Bishop, Trincomalee- Batticaloa, Ms. Beatrice Thiruchelvam Tharmarajah, Mother of Rev. Fr .Sylvester, Rev. Fr. George Sigamoney, National Director, Caritas Sri Lanka, (SEDEC), Her Worship  Sivageetha Prabakaran, Hon. Mayor, Batticaloa, Mr. K. Wimalanathan, Additional  Government Agent , Batticaloa Mrs. Kalamathy Patmarajah, Divisional Secretary, Manmunai North, Mr. K. Sivanathan, Municipal Commissioner, Catholic  Priests and Reverend Sisters, Hindu and Muslim Religious Dignitaries,  Heads of  various Government Departments and Non Government organizations, Matrons of Children’s Welfare  Homes , children from the Homes  and Media personnel.

Rev. Fr. Sritharan Sylvester was garlanded and welcomed   with St. Cecilias National School   Music Band   leading him to the celebration Hall where he was received with the Tamil Traditional “Aaraththi”.

The function at the hall commenced with the traditional lighting of the oil lamp followed by devotion.  The welcome address by Rev. Fr. Cryton Outschoorn was followed by the singing of “Thamila Thai Vaalthu”   - Ode in praise of Mother Tamil and the Caritas Song by Caritas EHED Staff members and a Welcome dance by a member of the Batticaloa Barata Seshtra Dance Troupe.

Felicitation speeches were delivered by the Dignitaries present and Mr.Jaufer Khan, a leading
Media personality in Batticaloa read out a poem written by him extolling the Virtues of Rev. Father.

The felicitation Souvenir Titled “He Did it : And Did it Well”   containing messages  of felicitation  from  prominent personalities  , articles  by staff  and beneficiaries  of Caritas  EHED, and a  Poem  by Rev. Sister  Fatimanayaki AC along with  photographs of events  of  projects  done by Caritas EHED  during  the period  of Rev. Fr. Sritharan Sylvester was  released with a preview  of the contents by Rev. Fr. A. A. Navaretnam, Lecturer ,Eastern University of Sri Lanka . The first copy of the Souvenir was handed over to Rev. Fr. Prof. Sritharan Sylvester  by Rev. Fr. Cryton Outschoorn.

Later, Rev. Father Sritharan Sylvester was honoured at the Stage by adorning him with Ornamental Shawls by the Bishops, followed presentation of Gifts and mementoes.

Rev. Fr. Srithran Sylvester in his  address  while expressing his   thanks for the honour bestowed on him   also  kept the audience absorbed with  his reminiscences of his youthful days , his early  days in seminary   and later his Priest hood days  and his many  valuable  experiences.

Dance performances by members of the Niruthiya Kalaya Dance troupe, students of St. Cecilia National School, St. Mary’s Boys home, Kalmunai and St. Joseph’s Girls Home, Thannamunai interspersing the other events added much glimmer to the function.

The Function ended with a fellowships lunch with all present.