Father W.L.A.Don Peter - Rector at St.Joseph's during my time.

Rev. Fr. Don Peter came from a very humble background. His father was a farmer. Their village was close to the city of Negombo in the West coast of Sri Lanka. When someone asked him why he became a priest with all those distinguished qualifications? His short reply had been that it was "God’s decision and God has already planned my life".

Fr. Welgama Lekam Appuhamilage Don Peter was born on September 25, 1916 at Kondegammulla, Katana. After a brilliant academic career at Maris Stella College, Negombo - the cradle of many a Catholic priest, he entered St. Aloysious’ Seminary in 1935. He later had his education at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and priestly formation at St. Bernard’s Seminary. He was ordained a priest on March 25 by Dr. J.M. Masson, the then Archbishop of Colombo.

From 1941 to 1946, he served as an Assistant Parish Priest at St. Mary’s Church, Negombo and then at St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte. In 1946, Fr. Don Peter was appointed to the staff of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo. He also functioned as the prefect of boarders, prefect of studies and prefect of discipline there.

Fr. Don Peter, who studied Pali on his own at the seminary itself now began to lean towards Oriental studies. While leading a busy life at St. Joseph’s, he spent his leisure hours studying Oriental languages, history and culture.

The Church was not slow to recognise the talents of Fr. Don Peter. In 1950 Archbishop Thomas Cooray sent him abroad for further studies. He studied for one year at the Urbanian University taking up his residence at the College of St. Peter, the Apostle in Rome.

In 1951 Fr. W.L.A. Don Peter proceeded to England and joined the school of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He presented the thesis `A Comparative Study of Buddhism and Christianity in Ceylon Education’ for his PhD at the University of London.

In 1961, Fr. Don Peter was appointed the Rector of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, the leading Catholic school in Sri Lanka. He was the first old Josephian, the first Diocesan Priest and the first Sinhalese to hold the post.

The foremost Catholic scholar of our times passed away on April 24, 2008 at the ripe old age of 91.