Fr Anton Weerasinghe hailed from Elpitiya, a Jesuit Parish of Galle diocese in the south of Sri Lanka. He was born on 12th June 1939 to a family of five siblings. He was an altar server and took a liking to the Jesuit pastors. But when he expressed his desire to become a Jesuit priest, he was sent to the diocesan seminary by a secular priest. It took him three years to realize that we was in the wrong place and with the permission of the Bishop, he joined the Novitiate in Calicut which was later shifted to Bangalore. He did his studies in Pune and Manila where he also specialized in Mass Media.
Upon his return to the island, Anton got busy with the Media apostolate. Through many years, he produced the Catholic Half-Hour over Radio Ceylon, reflections and articles in the newspapers, until he was picked by Bishop Oswald Gomis to inaugurate the South Asian services at Radio Veritas. Returning from Manila, he taught Mass Media at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Then he took up the South Asian broadcasting services of Radio Vatican. Thus, many had heard him over the air. Besides, he also served as the secretary to the South Asian Assistant of the Jesuits, Socius to the Provincial and chaplain to Sri Lankan ex-patriates in Naples. He has many compositions in liturgical music to his credit and translating and setting of Gitanjali into Sinhala music.
Though involved in media, his was a quiet personality, deep in thoughts and convictions and gentle in relationships. He radiated his Master’s presence in his demeanour. He returned to the Master on 9th June 2021.
Fr. Baylon Perera, SJ
