On 24th June 2026 His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo ordained Rev. Bro. Kasun Madusanka Fernando to the Holy Order of the Priesthood at the Basilica of Saint Apollinaris in Rome in a very beautiful and solemn mass.

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A large crowd of Srilankans and Italians participated at the ordination service which took place on the solemnity of Nativity of John the Baptist which was co-celebrated by Rev. Msgr. Neville Joe Perera, papal monsignor for the diocese of Rome, by Very Rev. Fr. Sergio Tapia-Velasco, the rector of the International Ecclesiastical college “Sedes Sapientiae” and by many priests studying and serving in Rome.

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In his homily His Eminence highlighted how every vocation is unique and great by a predefined plan of God.

“During this new life as a priest of God, dear Kasun, I invite you to love everyday more and more Jesus and He will do great things in your priestly life and will assist you in the mission God gives you,” said His Eminence.

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Concluding the homily His Eminence said: “You are not doing your or my mission but God’s mission; you have not chosen to be a priest, but God himself has chosen you to this greater service and this is not for all, and more particularly your studies in Rome have let you see holy places where St. Peter, St. Paul and many other saints themselves have lived and preached; imitate these saints”.

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The Latin choral chants sung by the seminarians of the choir of the college “Sedes Sapientiae” added a refined touch which made the ordination mass unforgettable to all those present.

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Rev. Fr. Kasun Fernando, now a priest of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo was born on the 20th January 1997 in Panadura, an old boy of St. Sebastian’s college, Moratuwa, who entered the archdiocesan minor seminary in 2010; son of Mr K. A. Amith Nishantha Fernando and Mrs Tennakoon Mudiyanselage Cathrine, he is the eldest of three brothers.

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In 2017, he successfully passed to the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka to pursue philosophical and theological studies and at the completion of his philosophical studies in 2021, soon after the first semester of theology, he was sent to be trained and study theology at the prestigious “Santa Croce” Pontifical University in Rome.

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Holy Cross or Santa Croce as it is commonly called by romans is one of the sixth pontifical universities in the city of Rome and was established as a Pontifical Atheneum in July 1998 by Pope John Paul II who entrusted it to the Prelature of Opus Dei.

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The Basilica of Saint Apollinaris in which Rev. Fr. Kasun received the priestly ordination is in fact an ancient baroque-style basilica of the 7th century used as the personal chapel by students of Santa Croce and also the place in which on 11th October 2025, Fr. Kasun was ordained a deacon by His Eminence George Jacob Cardinal Koovakad, the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

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Rev. Fr. Kasun will stay one more year in Italy in order to complete his licentiate degree in Canon Law and during weekends he will assist the Srilankan chaplaincy in Rome: his first mass took place at the chapel of the International Ecclesiastical college “Sedes Sapientiae” seminary in Rome on the next day.

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We wish Fr Kasun Ad Multos Annos and the very best along with God’s blessings for his mission and service to the people of God!

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Article by Riccardo Nelumdeniya