After directing the National Seminary, he had been assistant to Colombo and secretary of the Episcopal Conference. He is credited with founding Living Faith magazine for the country’s clergy and religious. Sister Deepa Fernando: “He encouraged us sisters to deepen our studies in economics and political science.”
Colombo () – The Catholic Church of Sri Lanka mourns the death of Bishop Vincent Marius Joseph Peiris, former auxiliary bishop of Colombo, known for his simplicity and for his central role in the formation of priests and the development of lay people, died at the age of 83.
Born on October 11, 1941 and ordained a priest in 1972, he exercised his ministry for a long time at the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka, in Kandy, of which he was appointed rector in 1998. Appointed by Pope John Paul II auxiliary bishop of Colombo in 2001, he was also secretary of the Episcopal Conference. He retired in 2018.
He was responsible for the opening of a new philosophy center at the seminary and the creation of the biannual theological magazine “Fe viva” for the clergy and religious of the country.
Bishop Marius tried to give an academic light to the Christian vision,” explains Shelton Hettiarchchi to , “although many Catholics did not even know his name. In addition to his knowledge of the Sinhalese language and literature, he had the conviction that we should and could recover from the wars that destroyed our country.”
A prolific student of social issues, Peiris had also studied at the London School of Economics, where he earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in political sociology. Sister Deepa Fernando, coordinator of the Christian Women’s Movement, also remembers him to as an extraordinary person: “He was an exceptional teacher, with the ability to communicate with passion and creativity about his subjects, particularly economics and political science. He inspired me to delve deeper into political science, a subject that we nuns were unaware of at that time. He was a brilliant scholar and at the same time a compassionate, very human priest.
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