St. Joseph's College, Colombo

St. Joseph's College is a selective entry Catholic school located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was established in 1896 by European Oblate missionaries led by Dr. Christopher Ernest Bonjean O.M.I. The college enrolls over 3,500 students with a staff of over 400.^[1][2] Former students include Cardinal Thomas Cooray, the first Cardinal from Sri Lanka^[3] and President Ranasinghe Premadasa. The (Latin) motto of the college is In Scientia et Virtute, meaning "In Knowledge and Virtue".

St. Joseph's College
School Facade
Location
T. B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10 Sri Lanka
Coordinates	6°55′29″N 79°51′37″E / 6.924822°N 79.860405°E / 6.924822; 79.860405Coordinates: 6°55′29″N 79°51′37″E / 6.924822°N 79.860405°E / 6.924822; 79.860405
Information
Type	Government-aided private school
Motto	Latin: In Scientia et Virtute (In Knowledge and Virtue)
Religious affiliation(s)	Christianity
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Established	2 March 1896; 126 years ago (1896-03-02)
Rector	Ranjith Andradi
Staff	450
Grades	1 – 13
Gender	Male
Age	5 to 19
Area	6.1 ha (15 acres)
Houses	Bonjean   Marque   Melizan   Courdet
Color(s)	Blue and white
Alumni	List of Saint Joseph's College, Colombo alumni
Alumni name	Josephian
Brother School(s)	St. Peter's College, Colombo
Sister School	St. Bridget's Convent, Colombo
Website	stjosephscollege.lk

The school is a non-fee levying school, whereby it receives some state funding, relying mostly on funds from an extensive network of alumni worldwide.^[4]

School buildings cover 15 acres (61,000 m²) and include a sports complex, and an Olympic standard swimming pool which was built in 1952, incidentally it is the oldest swimming pool in a school in Sri Lanka.

Sports

Cricket has been played at the school since its founding. At that time it was the only Catholic school in a group of elite, mainly secular or Protestant Christian, private boys' schools which often played against one another.^[5] Many alumnae played on the national team.

St. Joseph's oldest cricket rival is St. Anthony's College, Kandy. They compete for the Murali-Vaas Trophy, which was inaugurated in 2007 and named after St. Anthony's alumnus Muttiah Muralitharan and St. Joseph's alumnus Chaminda Vaas. In 2012 the two schools celebrated their historic 100th encounter.^[6] The most high-profile rivalry is with St. Peter's College, a brother school founded as its satellite campus and also known as the St.Joseph's College South. Its annual match-up is known locally as the "Battle of the Saints" or "Joe–Pete".^[7]

Rectors

Rectors of the College^[8]

Name	Period
Rev Fr Charles Collin	1896 – 1910
Rev Fr Charles Lytton	1910 – 1912
Rev Fr Emile Nicholas	1912 – 1919
Rev Fr Maurice Legoc	1919 – 1940
Rev Fr Peter A. Pillai	1940 – 1961
Rev Fr W. L. A. Don Peter	1961 – 1971
Rev Fr Mervyn Weerakkody	1971 – 1974
Rev Fr Quintus Fernando	1974 – 1979
Rev Fr Neville Emmanuel	1979 – 1983
Rev Fr Stanley Abeysekara	1983 – 1996
Rev Fr Victor Silva	1996 – 2005
Rev Fr Sylvester Ranasinghe	2005 - 2014
Rev Fr Travis Gabriel	2014 – 2019
Rev Fr Ranjith Andradi	2019 - Present

College anthem

The College anthem was composed by Edgar Neydorff. The words are by Fr. John M. Lanigan O.M.I.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Saint Joseph's College, Colombo alumni

References

1. Wright, Arnold (1999). Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce ... pp. 114–115. ISBN 9788120613355. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
2. Pinto, Leonard (14 July 2015). Being a Christian in Sri Lanka: Historical, Political, Social, and Religious ... ISBN 9781452528625. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
3. . Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
4. "St. Joseph's College Colombo | 10 Old Boys' Union - SJC Old Boys' Union".
5. "When Royal thrashed Cambrians in inaugural match in 1897". Daily News. 21 July 2013.
6. "Two saints at battle and the stakes are high". The Sunday Times. 12 February 2012.
7. "Joe-Pete big match opens new chapter". Sunday Observer. 28 February 2016.
8. "About - St. Joseph's College".

External links

• Official website
• Official Old Boys Union Website
• Official SJC News / SJC Sports Website

Senewiratne, A.M., Till The Mountains Disappear: The Story of St.Joseph's College, 2020, p. 246 (+XIV) *[1]