Anglican church takes historic step

It was both solemn and joyful, `The Service of Ordination of Women as Priests', when Rev. Malini Devananda, Rev. Chandrika Mayurawathi and Rev. Glory Jeyaraj made history at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour on Bauddhaloka Mawatha on Thursday, September 14 evening.

The newly ordained Anglican women priests (from left) Rev. Malini Devanada, Rev. Gloria Jeyaraj and Rev. Chandrika Mayurawathie with the Colombo Bishop Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera, greeting the congregation after the ordination ceremony. The priests were ordained in a solemn ceremony amid a large gathering at the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour. Pic by Dunstan Wickremaratne

The three of them had been ordained as Deacons in 2003. This day saw the culmination of their long journey towards their goal of full acceptance as equal partners with male clergy in serving God and His church. It was as far back as 1983 that formal “Conversations” were first initiated in the Anglican church on the “Ministry of Women in the Church in Sri Lanka” - the very year that saw the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka ordain women for the first time.

Representatives of other denominations took their places in reserved seats with the Buddhist clergy seated up front.

At 4.00 pm there was a roll of drums and the long procession wound its way up the aisle followed by Bishops, Archdeacons and other church dignitaries with the three ordinands walking behind the Colombo Bishop the Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera and overseas visitors and local Anglican clergy bringing up the rear.

The whole service was trilingual. Very appropriately, the assembled choirs led the congregation in singing the Magnificat (the Virgin Mary’s paean of praise to God), simultaneously in Sinhala and Tamil.

After the reading of the Scriptures, Mrs. Lathika Ratnanayagam gave the Address in English. She emphasised that it was the women followers of Jesus who went to the tomb and found it empty, while the male disciples were hiding, and that it was Mary Magdalene who was the first witness to the resurrection of Christ.

One rather touching item in the Order of Service came when the family members of the ordinands were invited to come and "release" their loved ones to God's service. As the three women stood facing the congregation, relatives came forward and embraced their own.

Rev. Yohan Devananda looked especially happy to have welcomed his wife, Malini, to membership in the full ministry. Greetings from the World Church were then brought before the gathering, starting with a message from the Archbishop of Canterbury, who rejoiced that the Anglican Church in Sri Lanka had taken this step forward.

The message was read out by Mrs. Chitra Fernando.

There were also messages of congratulations from the Diocese of Exeter in England, and from the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Societies for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Church Missionary Society, and one from the Diocese of Kurunegala, given by Bishop Andrew Kumarage.

The three were vested according to the Order of Priests and then presented them to the congregation with the words, "Receive them with kindness, love and respect."