01/05/2026
On this day in 2003, LATE VERY REV. FR. BONNIE FERNANDOPULLE, OFFICIALLY ASSUMED duties as the FIRST RECTOR of St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa, our beloved Alma Mater.
He was serving as the PRINCIPAL OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL at St. Peter's College, Colombo 4, when he was handed over this herculean task by late Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, the then Archbishop of Colombo.
Thereafter the transformation beyond imagination started at St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa. The College started to move up the ladder slowly and gently, but surely and steadily, through many obstacles and challenges, but with Fr. Bonnie at the helm those obstacles just vanished into thin air paving the way for our Alma Mater to become one of the best schools in the island and sometimes even surpassing the so called great schools of Colombo.
Prominent personalities, famous artistes, many intellectuals and people from all walks of life started to come seeking admission to the College for their sons knowing very well that their children are very much sure to be given the very best education and life moulding a school can offer amidst a religious atmosphere. Even many non-Catholics also tried their level best to put their sons to the College, for they were sure that the College offers the best possible education.
Fr. Bonnie not only improved the education and discipline of students drastically, he went on to improve the infrastructure the College offered at that time to better facilitate the teaching-learning process and to upgrade the College to the standards of the leading schools in Colombo.
He was instrumental in building a very beautiful spacious Chapel, a four storied building for the Advanced Level Section; complete with two Laboratories and a Hostel, a three storied building for the Primary students; including the Primary Principal’s Office, the Fr. Rector’s Office Complex; including the Welfare Office and reception area, two new Libraries for the primary and the upper school, a greenish renovated playground, a two storied building for the workers quarters with better facilities, modifying the kitchen section with new equipment, the swimming pool complex, the gymnasium, a new state of the art digital cricket scoreboard, new Basketball Court, new Tennis Court, Primary Playground, three toilet complexes, modifying the Computer Rooms with more computers, a Dental Unit etc. etc., you name it he has done it.
Thank you dear Father for all what you did for the College without even thinking about your health.
We know that your deeds, your memories and your words will never ever leave our minds and hearts. They will be etched in the deepest place of our hearts forever. And we are sure that you will also be with us, granting us showers of GOD'S choicest blessings upon all of us and looking after our Alma Mater and all of us.
Dear Boni Swami, we the Sebastianite community is ever grateful to you for taking our College to be amongst the best and the great.
THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!
WE ARE EVER IN DEBT TO YOU !!!!!!!!!
Shermantha Fernando