“For God’s Temple Is Holy And That
Temple You Are”
“My First object, would be a Cathedral Church and a school connected with it….., were the main objectives of Bishop Chapman in his founding of St. Thomas’ College. As for the Cathedral under the untiring efforts of Bishop Chapman and friends of the school was dedicated on St. Mathew’s Day September 21st 1854 as a house of worship where the youth of today would be moulded into God fearing men of tomorrow.
With the transfer of St. Thomas’ College taking place from Mutuwal to Mt. Lavinia, the Cathedral which also served as a collegiate chapel took its humble dwelling in the glass, partitioned cadjan shed that served as the chapel cum dining hall. “Before the alter in the cadjan chapel so mean in its outward form, so great in its inward glory” were the words used by Revd. Withers to express this change that overcame the chapel. Though less in grandeur the worship of the chapel proceeded and exelled when the new chapel named the “Chapel of the Transfiguration” was consecrated on the 13th and 15th of February 1927 by the Rt. Revd. Dr. Mark Carpenter Garnier .
Since then the chapel with its Anglican ritualistic high church traditions has enculcated within the minds of many young Thomians those Christian values, which till today and will always stand as a witness to the glory of God Almighty!
This delicate limestone font which dates back to the time of the reformation was a gift to the Chapel of the Transfiguration by Bishop Cresford Jones and his diocese at Pershore Abbey in England.
The Paintings on the way of the Cross
These were painted by an English Artist Miss Dunn.
The Hymn Book Cupboard
In 1938 the Parishioners of the Rev. Foster’s old English parish gifted this Cupboard, where even now the Hymn books are stored.
The Altar
The high altar donated by Mrs. C.E.A Dias in Memory of her brother Richard de Mel was made of pure marble grained with blue and coral pink from Greece with Italian workmanship.
The Mural
This magnificent work by David Paynter was done to commemorate the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1968.
The Choir
Choir Masters of St. Thomas’ College
Prof. R.B.W. Jayasekare
Mr. N.E.M. Budd Jansz
Rev. R.H.B. Yin
Rev. L.G.B. Fernando
Mr. G.R.L. Bartholomusz
The Organ
Not much information could be gathered about the organs at the Cathedral in Mutwal, but is documented that the first organ for the church was donated by Warden Wood.
With the shifting of College to Mt. Lavinia the temporary cadjan chapel was equipped with a Harmonium that played all the popular hymns for the choir. This later after the completion of the present chapel was moved to the gallery.
Due to the crying need for a proper church organ a brand new Hammond Organ was donated to the church by Sir Stewart Shnieder in 1938.
This magnificent instrument faithfully served the college and was replaced in 1985 with the Allen Digital Computer system Organ
In 2000 this was too replaced with the new three manual Johannes Organ.
Organists who have served at St. Thomas’ College
Prof. R.B.W. Jayasekera
The Revd. T.W. Gilbert
Mr. L.G.B. Fernando
Mr. L.A. Nethasinghe
Mr. S. Kira
Mr. K. Simon
Mr. G.R.L. Bartholomesz.
Bishops of Colombo – Visitors of the College and Chairmans of the Board of Governors
Mutuwal
The Rt. Revd. J. Chapman
The Rt. Rev. P.C. Claughton
The Rt. Rev. H.W. Jermyn
The Rt. Rev. R.S. Copleston
The Rt. Rev. E.A. Copleston
The Rt. Rev. M.R. Carpenter Garnier
The Rt. Rev. C.D. Horsly
Mt. Lavinia
The Rt. Rev. Dr. E.A. Copleston
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Carpenter Garnier
The Rt. Rev. Dr. C.D. Horsly
The Rt. Rev. Dr. A.R. Graham Campbell
The Rt. Rev. C.H.W. de Zoysa
The Rt. Rev. C.L. Abeynaike
The Rt. Rev. S.W. Fernando
The Rt. Rev. J.J. Gnanaprakasam
The Rt. Rev. K.M.J. Fernando
Chaplains List if Mt. Lavinia
The Rev. T.W. Gilbert
The Rev. W. Wright
The Rev. A.C. Hobson
The Rev. Canon AJ Foster
The Rev. Canon RHB Yin
The Rev. B.J. Daniel (First Ceylonese Chaplain)
The Rev. L.G.B. Fernando
The Rev. D. Townsend
The Rev. Canon JSL Amarasekera
The Rev. D.E.L. Weerasooriya
The Rev. D.E.S. de Silva
The Rev. D.K. de Chickera
The Rev. A.S.P. Goonetilake
The Rev. E.R. St. B. Bartholomeusz
The Rt. Rev. S.W.Fernando(Bishop Emiretus of Colombo)
The Rev. E.R. St. B. Bartholomeusz
The Rev. S.K. Fernando
“‘Tis good Lord to be here,
But we may not remain,
But since thou bidst us leave the mount
Come with us to the plain”