Rev.Fr.J.Stanislaus(OMI)

                1963 – 1966

Fr. E. J. Stanislaus OMI (1920-1998)
Fr Francis lacob Stanislaus was born at Gurunagar on 8″ May 1920. He had his education at
S: Putrick’s College and went to St Martin’s Seminary, then to oblate Novitiate, Bambalapittiya and
passed bis theclogical studies at Bernard Seminary. Borella. He was ordained a priest of god by
Bishop Alfired Guyomar at St Mary’s Cathedral on 13 January 194S.

He served in many Parishes and was an understudy of Swami Gnanapragasar OMI for two
years and in 1949 he was appointed as the Bursar ofSt. Xavier’s College, Mannar. 1951-53 he was
the Manager of the Catholic Press. In 1953 he went to St. Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura as
Rector After a spell of four years there, he went Peradeniya and id his Diploma in Education in
1957 58. On completion he was appointed as Professor at St. Patrick’s College and the same year:
1959 he came to St. Henry’s as its Bursar. In 1960 he was appointed as Rector of St. Anthony’s
College, Kayts. In May 1963 he returned to St. Henry’s College as Rector and served there until
1967. From Ilavalaihe went to St. Anthony’s again and remained there.

In his retirement years, he gave his energies for the up-liftment ofthe Fishing Communities
of Gurunargar. The exodus of 1995 took a terrible toll on his health, which deteriorated steadily and
he passed away on May 20 1998 at Holy Cross Hospital, Jaffna.

Fr. Stanislaus was by nature a die hard energetic person. He was fearless and never took no
for an answer, facedany obstacle squarely head on and no one could challenge him on his turf
At St. Henry’s College 1963-1966 he gave grcater importance for students’ participation,
offering them leadership roles, in classrooms and playgrounds. Fr. Stainislaus, a strict
disciplinarian that he really was, but gave his ears to the woes of Students. Inter-house Athletic
Meet and Prize Giving Day events were on gala scale. Cycle parades, bicycle races, swimming
competitions at the Santhankulam Sea were very well organized by him, which were not only
pular but won the applause from the local populace. English education, Arts, Culture were his
main area of interest. Even for the lower grades the assembly announcements was made in English,
later the Tamil version of it was given to them by their class teachers. He also staged a grand
Passion Play during his time at St. Henry’s.