St.Peter’s College about to hit a century
After the First World War, Very Rev. Fr. Maurice J. Legoc, an educationist par excellence and botanist of fame who was the Rector of St. Joseph’s College was wondering how he could share the knowledge, the experience, the resources, of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 1. This led to the birth of several schools around the city of Colombo such as St. John’s Dematagoda, St. Paul’s Waragoda and St. Joseph’s College Colombo South – later renamed St. Peter’s College.
According to Malik Mendis, Fr. J. Legoc often went about on a motorcycle. On one of his journeys he spotted a property south of Colombo with a cinnamon plantation and on further investigation, found out that the land belonged to one E.C. De Fonseka. He managed to purchase that land for the school to be established as St. Joseph’s College Colombo South.
Construction began in July 1921 under the supervision of J.R. Jayasuriya, an old boy of St. Joseph’s and in December 1921, Fr. Legoc announced at the Josephian awards ceremony that St. Joseph’s College, Colombo South would be opened in January 1922. Accordingly on the 18th of January 1922, the branch school of St. Joseph’s College was ceremonially opened with 204 students admitted on that day. A trainload of Josephians came to see the birth of the offspring of St. Joseph’s College in the south of Colombo city. By the end of the year, 268 students were registered.
The first Rector was Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas Perera and he guided the college from 1922 to 1943 laying a solid foundation and initiating a tradition of Virtue and Truth (Virtus et Veritas) guided by the Light of the Divine Word (Verbum Lucerna). Today St. Peter’s caters to over 4400 students in three language streams: Sinhala, Tamil and English.
As a botanist, Fr. Legoc realised the importance of fresh air and opted to have open classrooms as the strong breezes from the Indian Ocean sweeping over the Wellawatte Canal were refreshing and healthy. The construction of the initial buildings was supervised by Fr. Legoc himself and gradually the Rector took over the responsibility. On June 16, 1926, the Archbishop and the Department of Education sanctioned the renaming of St. Joseph’s College Colombo South as St. Peter’s College on the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. On June 29, 1927 the new college flag with the colours – blue, white and gold was blessed and hoisted by Fr. Legoc.
In 1930 Fr. Nicholas Perera created a playground and in 1931 initiated a project to put up a College Hall which became one of the best school halls in the city. Completed by the end of the year, it is known as the Fr. Nicholas Perera Memorial Hall. Fr. Perera proceeded with the extensions, also building a science block and priests’ quarters. A scholar and educationist, he was exploring ways to uplift the college academically and very soon St. Peter’s College was not second to many of the big schools in the city.
Children from Colombo’s Burgher community initially dominated the student population. Forward-looking and energetic, they did well in sports and studies, providing a good springboard for the College to make a mark in the educational arena.
St. Peter’s College can be proud of a century of fruitful service to the nation through its old boys among whom were statesmen, distinguished members of the medical and legal professions, civil servants, economists and accountants, architects and engineers. Several students entered seminaries and became distinguished priests and Apostles of Christ. The Church can be proud of this great institution and praise God for giving visionaries and missionaries who bore witness to God’s creation and manifested God’s love and mercy to all who passed through its portals.
Peterites, past and present imbibe the spirit of St. Peter as they enter these hallowed premises, trod by thousands of students, priests and teachers not forgetting the non-academic staff all lending a heart and hand to keep the Peterite flag flying high, in fair weather and foul, anchored on the strong rock of virtue and truth, hope and faith of St. Peter.
(The writer is a member of the staff of
St. Peter’s College)