The Matthews – Guyomar – Long era from 1905 to l954 is considered the College’s golden era. The College defined itself as one of the premier educational institutions in Ceylon. The Rectors and Bishop who shaped it – and the town which it was a part of – were all eminent educationists and administrators and below are brief bios of these giants!
Bishop Alfred-Jean Guyomard O.M.I.
Born in Erquy, Diocese of Saint-Brieuc (-Tréguier), France on 14 October 1884. Entered the Order of Mary Immaculate (OMI) on 28 September 1904, took Temporary (Simple) vows on 29 September 1905 and Solemn (Perpetual) vows on 4 November 1906. He was ordained deacon on 13 June 1908 and to Priesthood on 11 July 1909 at the Liege Cathedral (St Paul’s), Belgium.
Rector 1921 – 1924
Bishop of Jaffna 1924 – 1950
He arrived in Jaffna after the 1st World War, adopted the English version of his name – John Alfred Guyomar OMI and soon after, joined the staff of St Patrick’s College, Jaffna. In 1921, Fr. Matthews (who had been the Rector of the College since 1905) stepped down and handed over the reins for 3 years to Rev Fr Guyomar and served as Vice-principal. Fr Guyomar was appointed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Jaffna on 16 January 1924 and was consecrated at St Mary’s Cathedral, Jaffna on 9 March 1924.
While the Rector of the College is its Administrator, the nominal owner of the College is the Bishop of Jaffna. St Martin’s Minor Seminary, Bishop’s House Jaffna, St Mary’s Cathedral Jaffna, St Patrick’s College and St Mary’s cemetery are all adjoining one another and stretch across many acres. The precinct is the largest religious and educational complex in Jaffna and has played a big part in the development and growth of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. During his tenure as the Bishop of Jaffna, Bishop Guyomar is credited with lobbying the authorities for the building of many medical clinics, schools and hospitals across the Jaffna diocese, which at that time stretched from the tip of Ceylon (Kankesanthurai) to the middle point of the island (Anuradhapura).
At his invitation and appeal to The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, (Menzingen – Switzerland), the mission of the sisters of the Holy Cross started in Sri Lanka on the 26th of July 1930, to provide care for the sick and the aged. They began their work as nurses at the Base Hospital in Kayts and until the 1960s, when the Government of Ceylon decided to remove religious sisters from hospitals, served in many hospitals in the Jaffna Diocese including the Jaffna Main Hospital. They now operate over 19 units ranging from hospitals in Jaffna, Paranthan and Badulla, aged care homes, orphanages, medical clinics and hostels and a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. In 1939, Bishop Guyomar commissioned the building of a new Cathedral for the Diocese – the old one which was built around 1794 had become too small to accommodate the growing Catholic population as well as having been damaged and fallen into disrepair during and after the 1st World War. The new Cathedral took over 40 years to be completed and stands as a fitting monument to this great missionary.
Bishop Guyomar resigned as Bishop of Jaffna on 18 July 1950 and was appointed as “Titular Bishop of Assava” and assumed the title of “Bishop Emeritus of Jaffna”. He passed away on 27 February 1956 and was laid to rest at St Mary’s Cathedral, Jaffna.
Source: Catholic Hierarchy (website)
