Sri Lankan Chaplain completes first year in Sydney – Catholic Chaplain Fr. Ruwan Pradeep
Sri Lankan Catholic Chaplain Fr. Ruwan Pradeep completed one year of his term in July. His first year has been ‘hijacked’ by the COVID-19 pandemic which unfortunately impacted upon the most important period of the Catholic liturgical year when the Sri Lankan Catholic Community would have seen Fr. Ruwan celebrate his first Lent and Easter with them.
The usual Palm Sunday outdoor Way of the Cross had to be cancelled as well as the other Easter Triduum services. However this was no impediment to Fr. Ruwan stepping up to the challenge of moving up the technology scale to provide his ministry online.
He was open to the SLNSWCA initiative to participate in prayer meetings and deliver his engaging reflections to the community. The pandemic has also seen the cancellation of the regular Sri Lankan Catholics monthly Mass which he is also continuing online.
Fr. Ruwan arrived to take up his role at a time when participation levels in the SLNSWCA were at low ebb. Numbers at Masses had significantly dropped since the early years of the Association. There were indications he had the potential to attract the community and bring them together.
Although a man of few words away from the pulpit, Fr Ruwan’s tri-lingual competency enables him to reach out to the three language groups of the Sri Lankan community be it in celebrating the Mass or preaching a reflection. He also brings the very Sri Lankan ‘flavour’ to his homilies, which is appreciated by those who miss mother Lanka. Despite his heavy workload as an assistant parish priest in the Sydney Archdiocese Fr. Ruwan does his best to serve his flock. He would be wise to take every opportunity to reach out and engage with the wider Sri Lankan Catholics in order to extend his influence.
LanCatholic, the Exco of the SLNSWCA along with the community wish Fr. Ruwan a successful and productive stay for the rest of his term as the Sri Lankan Chaplain in Sydney.
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