Rev. Fr. Dr. Edwin Savundra

The Founder of English Language Campus

With a heavy heart we offer tearful flowers Father! You worked tirelessly to promote English education.We will never forget your selfless work. Rest in peace

EL Campus Students

This collection pays tribute to the life and contributions of Rev. Dr. Edwin Savundra, a respected Sri Lankan Catholic priest. The biographies were either penned by Fr. Edwin himself or transcribed from his handwritten notes to the best of our knowledge, offering a glimpse into his remarkable journey.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Edwin Savundra

Rev. Fr. Dr. Edwin Savundra, the Founder of English Language Campus, Visuvamadu, Kilinochchi.

Rev. Fr. Edwin Savundra was a dedicated, humble servant of God, a dear friend, and a teacher to many of his fellow priests and parishioners. He had a special love for the poor and spent a great deal of his time imparting knowledge and promoting education to everyone.

Fr. Edwin was given the Gift of the Priesthood on October 19, 1972 at Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Jaffna. He was assigned to pastoral ministries at Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Mannar for the first 25 years of his priestly life. He served as the Assistant Administrator of the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu.

He was sent to Rome for his Post- graduate studies in Philosophy and secured a Ph. D at the Gregorian University in Rome. He returned to the Diocese to be a Professor of Philosophy and the Head of the Department of Philosophy at Saint Francis Xavier’s Seminary, Jaffna.

He served there till the political turmoil in the country had forced him to seek shelter in foreign countries. He chose Papua New Guinea, a poor and a mission country and served as the Professor of Philosophy for over five years at the Good Shepherd College, Fatima, Banz in the Western Highland Province.

Then he had a chance to teach at the University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota and Mankato State University. He had taken classes in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and the National Seminary, Ampitiya, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

He retired from his active pastoral ministry and was back in the Diocese of Jaffna. He founded an English Language Campus at Viswamadhu in the landed property of his own brother, Mr. Thevathasan, and was actively involved in promoting English Education among the rural children from Mullaitheevu to Vida-thal-theevu. There are over 700 students from 30 schools as beneficiaries, mostly from the rural areas of the Vanni Region.

Fr. Edwin had been involved in initiating many Humanitarian Development Works in the Dioceses of Jaffna and Mannar.

A Youth Farm at Kunchchukulam

Fr. Bastian Educational Assistance Scheme

Fr. Abraham’s Educational Assistance Scheme

The English Language Campus and an English Library at Viswamadhu.

The Pastoral Activities characterized by many Social and Humanitarian services are real signs of God’s special blessings in the Church for which he was ordained over 50 years ago.

Rev. Fr. Edwin will be missed greatly. We know that his presence will always be with us. Thank you for being such an incredible role model, and he will always be in our hearts and prayers.