Services set for Fr. Flavian Willathgamuwa, CMF
Funeral Mass will be celebrated June 20 at San Gabriel Mission in San Gabriel for Claretian Father Flavian Willathgamuwa who died June 11. The first native Sri Lankan to join the Claretian Missionaries, Father Willathgamuwa established several local prayer groups devoted to Our Lady of Fatima and was known both here and abroad for his work promoting Buddhist/Christian relations.

Father Willathgamuwa was born to Roman Catholic parents in the British island colony of Ceylon, a predominately Buddhist country later named Sri Lanka. Educated by the Christian Brothers, he later joined the teaching order of brothers, taking the name Brother Flavian Joseph.

Eventually, he became the provincial superior of Christian Brothers' schools in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. He also served as principal of the renowned Sri Lankan school, St. Benedict's College in Colombo. Because of his dedication to education, he was chosen as his nation's UNESCO representative at the United Nations. This led to various scholarships to study in the U.S. where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

In the 1960s, he met the Italian mystic Padre Pio, who told him to center his life on the Eucharist and Marian devotion. This encounter moved him to become a Claretian Missionary priest in 1983. He served as an associate pastor at San Gabriel Mission from 1985 to 1992, where he founded and directed Marian devotions known as "Marian Mission" which spread throughout Los Angeles and Riverside counties.

Father Willathgamuwa regularly led one-day Marian Mission retreats at the Maryknoll Sisters' chapel in Monrovia and at the Claretians' Dominguez Seminary in Compton. Encouraged by Mission retreat participants, Father Willathgamuwa led pilgrimages to various Marian sites, including Fatima, Europe and the Holy Land.

"He radiated irrepressible joy to all who encountered him," said Claretian Father Richard DeTore, provincial superior. "His promotion of Buddhist/Christian understanding is well known," evidenced by the Buddhist monks who plan to attend his funeral, Father DeTore added.

On Feb. 4, 2007, Father Willathgamuwa received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sri Lankan community of Southern California, recognizing his efforts, including a monthly novena and Mass begun in 1997 in honor of St. Jude, the patron saint of Sri Lanka, in fostering a sense of togetherness among Sri Lankans.

Though he suffered from congestive heart disease and the lasting effects of meningitis contracted in 2002 which necessitated the use of a wheelchair in his later years, Father Willathgamuwa continued to share his faith and joy with all who met him, according to testimonials compiled in a book written about him by Frank Mayer called, "The Essence of Holiness: The Life of Father Flavian Willathgamuwa, CMF."

Survivors include several nieces and nephews as well as friends around the world. Memorial donations can be forwarded to the Claretian Missionaries, 414 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel, CA 91776.

--Paula Doyle