Ven. Godwin Weerasuriya

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November 9, 2020

A Tribute to my Loving Seeya

Many people will know Seeya for his contributions to the Church and to broader society, however I have been incredibly fortunate to know Seeya much better – quirks and all. Seeya, whilst incredibly kind and caring, also... moreA Tribute to my Loving Seeya

Many people will know Seeya for his contributions to the Church and to broader society, however I have been incredibly fortunate to know Seeya much better – quirks and all. Seeya, whilst incredibly kind and caring, also had a wonderful sense of humour. I will always remember Seeya for his ability to spread happiness to all those who knew him.
If anyone were to question whether I was truly his granddaughter, there are many ways by which I can prove our similarities. For example, we both share an incredible knack of sleeping whenever we will it. On many occasions, it has been futile taking Seeya to the Movies. Following a movie, when we question Seeya as to what he thought of the plot, he would often smile and laugh guiltily, because as usual, to Seeya, the start of the movie was his signal to start his nap.
As the self-appointed chief of onion chopping at home, I owe my supposed “skills” to watching Seeya’s ability to wield the knife so well, during his stint in Australia as Archa’s sous-chef. In fact, onions had no effect on Seeya - if anything, it was Seeya who made the onion cry, by how finely he would dice it. So talented was he, that I am sure in this field, Seeya certainly would’ve put Chef Pabilis to shame.
Many may not know that Seeya also had a unique taste in fashion and television. It often amazed me that the teledrama that he and Archa watched almost religiously, was a story primarily focused on the kidnapping of a Monk! I am sure you would agree with me, that for a Priest, Seeya may have had questionable taste in the dramas he favoured.
On the other hand, when it comes to fashion, everyone knows that what Seeya likes is a comfortable shirt that had a pocket to hold his pens. Whilst Seeya had a reputation for often wearing the same shirt many times over (often blissfully unaware that he was doing so), it may surprise you that when it came to choosing outfits for other people, he was remarkable at it. His taste in sarees, I am proud to say, was exceptional.
But the greatest super-power Seeya had, was the fact that to me, he was the closest person to a Saint that I’d ever met. For every surgery I had, he was always there. For every accomplishment I made, it was he who cheered the loudest. Being the holiest person in our family meant that he was also the only person whom I could never lie to; for I often felt that lying to Seeya was just as bad as lying to God. I now say that I have told many truths to Seeya, and Seeya alone. I hold no such promises for anyone else!
In the midst of a pandemic, it certainly feels as if I am miles away from Seeya. However, on our last visit to see him, Seeya told me that he once visited the university I now attend, for a Church conference in the 1990s. Knowing that Seeya once roamed the paths I now roam, has been a source of great comfort to me, and I am sure that with every step I take, Seeya will always be there with me.
Shanela de Mel less

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November 9, 2020

A New Star Joined the Heavens on 25th March

Coultas Edward Godwin Weerasuriya was many things to many people. To most, including his parishioners and fellow clergymen, he was Father Godwin, the long-serving priest loved by all whom he served in the name... moreA New Star Joined the Heavens on 25th March

Coultas Edward Godwin Weerasuriya was many things to many people. To most, including his parishioners and fellow clergymen, he was Father Godwin, the long-serving priest loved by all whom he served in the name of God. Outside church walls, he was his siblings’ much-loved Loku Aiya, and Loku Mama/Mahappa to his many nieces and nephews. To his immediate family, he was Thathi, or D Boy, and to his grandkids- Nanga and I- he was our beloved Seeya.

It is as Seeya that Nanga and I knew him, and some of our earliest memories feature him and Archcha, both of whom doted on us, as grandparents tend to do. Little snippets of memories I recall mostly concern his habits and quirks. I remember playing with his thinning wisps of hair, which he always combed meticulously with his famous black knight brill cream. When going out, he’d always have his trusty sling bag by his side without fail. In Australia, he’d always tend to the garden with the same gardening shirt and an old bucket hat of mine, giving the plants the same love and attention he gave all things.

When we were younger, and Seeya was still in active service, I remember him best with his cassock on – as Father Godwin, the long-serving Archdeacon of Colombo. Whilst always quiet and introspective, and never raising his voice, he was at his most animated in priestly garb, commanding the attention of all service-goers when preaching at the pulpit. During his many years of distinguished service, he was fortunate enough to travel widely- and many of his best stories were set abroad. For instance, he’d have us in fits of laughter talking about his time in rural Yorkshire, and his struggles understanding their thick country accents – “Oop and oop!” – as he’d say.

Seeya grew up in a large family of seven brothers and sisters, and if one was ever after a reference on his character, look no further than his siblings. Listening to them talk of their beloved Loku Aiya in his youth showed me how kind hearted and loving he had been from his youngest days. Seeya, I was told, was never one for sugary treats – and would slowly sneak his share to the grateful hands of his younger siblings when they wanted more. This fondness for his youngest siblings is very clear from their stories- but so, too, his sense of humour. Recently, I learnt that he affectionately nicknamed his two youngest sisters after the family cows!

Of course, the setting I knew Seeya best was at home, amongst close family. As Thathi, Diddy or D-Boy, he was the rock of the household, a constant source of strength and wisdom – and with his trusty diary by his side, the most organised person I’ve ever known too. Whether keeping track of dates and duties, or organising Archcha’s numerous pills and tablets into daily doses, anything he could be relied upon to remember. Such was his importance, that we’d often find Archcha asking after him when Seeya had gone out of eyesight for even the briefest of moments! Once, I “mistakenly” locked Nanga in the bathroom – and in the chaos that followed, it fell to Seeya to come from outside, cut open the window, and get her out. Afterwards, I remember getting a rare scolding from him – all the more remarkable since he was never one to raise his voice.

With Nanga and I being their only grandchildren, Seeya and Archcha helped enthusiastically with our schooling and other activities. For instance, they bought my first instrument, a guitar, for my 6th birthday. When he was still serving at St. Michael’s, Seeya would walk Nanga and I to Bishop’s, and after school, he and Archcha would take us to the nearby corner shop for a Milo or Nesquick. Having spent many months over numerous trips staying with us in Australia, he’d do the same over there. Many a time, Seeya would accompany us home from primary school, or to the playground. When we went to high school, this didn’t change- he’d always be waiting for me at my bus stop to accompany me home. Ever the caring grandfather, he’d even try his best to take my heavy schoolbags off me and carry them home!

That was the Seeya I knew – always concerned more with others and their welfare than his own. Whether you knew him as Father Godwin, Loku Aiya, Mahappa, Thathi, or something else, all of us have been touched by his life. Personally, I will remember my Seeya as a man of great gentleness, humility and faith – someone who served others dutifully throughout his life. I’m sure all of you will remember him the same way.

Vale, Coultas Edward Godwin Weerasuriya- a man of many names who meant the same to one and all.
Shanith de Mel less

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November 9, 2020

Extracted from the Cathedral News - April 2020

Obituary: As I write these lines I regret to inform you of the passing away
of Ven. Godwin Weerasuriya, former Archdeacon of Colombo and Vicar
of the Cathedral. Fr. Godwin, as many of us fondly refer to... more

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August 9, 2020

Shanika de Mel The last spend the day with his siblings on March 9th, in Panadura.
- August 9, 2020

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August 9, 2020

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August 9, 2020

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July 6, 2020

An extract from the sympathy card sent by Rev. & Mrs. Karol Misso:

We heard with much sadness, of the death of Fr. Godwin. He was a much loved priest, a very faithful and caring pastor. I had the privilege of being the recipient of his ministry in... more

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July 6, 2020

An extract from the sympathy card sent by Chris Thomas, son of the late Rev. Charlie Thomas:

I have known Fr. Godwin ever since he came to Mt. Lavinia in 1959, as my Dad’s assistant. That is how long he has been associated with the Thomas family, in... more

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June 27, 2020

An Appreciation for the life of Venerable Godwin Weerasuriya by Nita Silva, Mount Lavinia

An Appreciation for the life of Venerable Godwin Weerasuriya

This is an appreciation for the life of Ven. Godwin Weerasuriya, whose demise on 25th March 2020 was a great loss to the Anglican Church. He was a devout and committed priest who served in many churches in Sri Lanka. While being in the ministry for over 60

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June 23, 2020

In Memoriam : The Ven. Godwin Weerasuriya by Rev. Marc Billimoria, Warden St. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia

IN MEMORIAM : THE VEN. GODWIN WEERASURIYA

Writing in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal, Archdeacon R. L. Ravenscroft sums up The Role of the Archdeacon Today as: “being a good steward so that others are freed to be the worshiping, witnessing …

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June 23, 2020

Tribute to Ven. Godwin Weerasuriya by Rt. Rev’d Keerthisiri Fernando,
Bishop of Kurunagala

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June 23, 2020

My Father – the way I remember him

The saddest day of my life dawned on 25th March, 2020 when my beloved father was called to rest. He left a tremendous void that no one will ever fill. I hope that in bringing to life some of my beautiful memories of... more

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