College News Home
	Calendars
	Newsletter articles online
	News archives
	Press Room

Member of the Roman Curia to be Commencement Speaker

Secretary, Congregation for Divine Worship, Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith to be Honored Guest

(Spring 2007 Newsletter)

Thomas Aquinas College is delighted to announce that His Excellency the Most Reverend Albert Malcolm Ranjith has graciously accepted President Dillon’s invitation to deliver the Commencement Address at the College on May 12, 2007, and to serve as principal celebrant and homilist of the Baccalaureate Mass before hand.

Archbishop Ranjith is the Secretary for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Prefect of that congregation, His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, graced the College campus three years ago at commencement.

Born in the Kurunegala Diocese of Sri Lanka in 1947, Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don entered the National Major Seminary in Kandy, Sri Lanka, in 1966 where he studied philosophy. In 1971 he attended the Urban College in Rome where he completed his theological studies. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Colombo on June 29, 1975, by Pope Paul VI. He then completed his studies with a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute before returning to his native land and to pastoral ministry.

In 1991 he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Colombo and in 1995 became the first bishop of the newly-formed diocese of Ratnapura. In 1998 he was appointed to serve on the staff of the Congregation for Evangelization in Rome.

He was named Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia and East Timor in April 2004. On December 10, 2005, Pope Benedict appointed Archbishop Ranjith Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He took up this work in February 2006.

Archbishop Ranjith has held numerous national, international, and Vatican appointments, including Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, Coordinator/Chairman of the National Steering Committee for the Pope’s Visit to Sri Lanka 1993-1995 and the Beatification of Blessed Joseph Vax, and President of Pontifical Mission Societies, International.

Says Dr. Dillon, “We recall most fondly the visit of Cardinal Arinze to our campus three years ago to preside over our commencement exercises, and we are most grateful to him for sparing Archbishop Ranjith from the important work of the Congregation to perform the same service for us this year. We very much look forward to welcoming His Excellency to our campus on this joyful day. I have no doubt that our graduating seniors, their families, and all our guests will be blessed by his priestly presence and that we will be edified by the words of wisdom he will share with us.”

On May 12, 2007, the Baccalaureate Mass will be held at 9:00 a.m. Commencement ceremonies will begin at 11:00 a.m.

-- Qtrly Newsletter, Spring 2007