The missionary passed away last Monday. Hospital authorities have not yet determined if he died from COVID-19. For many, he was “truly a genuine companion of Jesus”.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Father Anton Weerasinghe, a member of the Society of Jesus in Sri Lanka, died on Monday at the age of 82.
A good-hearted man, he was able to win the affection of many friends at home and abroad, devoting much of his life to the development of Radio Veritas Asia.
Born on 12 June 1939, Fr Anton entered the seminary in 1960, becoming a priest 10 years later. Once he obtained a Master's Degree in communication from the University of Manila, Philippines, he was appointed advisor for the foreign service of Radio Veritas Asia.
In “the 1970s, more Asian languages were added to Radio Veritas Asia, which until then aired only in Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Burmese,” the Catholic radio said in a statement.
The decision was taken by the then President of the Mass Communications Division of the Asian Bishops' Conference, Oswald Gomis, who at the time was the auxiliary bishop of Colombo.
With Fr Anton’s arrival, Radio Veritas Asia began broadcasting in 12 other languages, including Bengali, Karen, Kachin, Japanese, Sinhalese, Tamil and Hindi.
“There is no doubt that he fulfilled his responsibility to the fullest,” said Cyril Gamini Fernando, former coordinator at Radio Veritas Asia's Sri Lankan service, speaking to AsiaNews. “His communication skills were excellent. He was instrumental in launching the Radio Veritas Asia Sinhala service.”
“His invaluable service to the field of Catholic communication in Sri Lanka is immense,” Fr Fernando added. But above all, “The most outstanding quality I saw in him was humility. May God bless him with the treasures of heaven.”
Nimal Ignatius Perera, a lay Jesuit, also remembers him with affection. He was “truly a genuine companion of Jesus with a very unassuming character gifted with many talents”.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Fr Anton’s remains are still in hospital to determine if he died from COVID-19.