2022 December 17

The seventh Bishop of Diocese of Kurunegala is elected

Rev. Nishantha Piyum Dharshana Fernando is elected as the seventh Bishop of the Diocese of Kurunegala, Church of Ceylon. The election of the Bishop was held in Kurunegala on December 17 and after the official notification of the Archbishop of Canterbury, a special Consecration Service for the new Bishop of the Kurunegala Diocese will be held.

Rev. Fernando was born on July 24, 1968, to Danny Wijedasa Fernando and Sumanawathi Perera in Ja-Ela Dandugama in the Western Province and received his primary education at Ja-Ela Tudella Christ the King College. With the transfer of his father, who was a Post Master, he had his higher education at Anuradhapura Central College and later obtained his degree in Theology in 1995, after joining the Pilimathalawa Theological College in 1991 and being a Student leader there, due to his interest in religion and serving the church.

At the same time, in 1995, he was ordained as a deacon in the Kurunegala Diocese. Ordained to the priesthood in 1996, he worked as a priest as the Chaplain of Kurunegala Diocese’s youth movement as well as the assistant to the Chaplain, teacher, and housemaster in 1995 at Trinity College, Kandy. The new bishop has also served in many churches in Kandy, Anuradhapura, Thalawa, Kekirawa, Tambuttegama, Kurunegala, Galewela, Hiriyala, Madahapola, Tambagalle, Hewadiwela, Rambukkana, Kadugannawa, Rathmeewala, St. Pauls church Kandy, Panideniya. The new bishop currently functions as a lecturer at the Theological College of Lanka at Pilimathalawa and Priest in Charge of the Gatambe St. Johns Church, St. Mark's Katukele, and has extensive experience having studied theology and other subjects in England. He has obtained degrees from the University of Peradeniya, and Newman University, UK, and has also contributed to various publications on Christianity. Currently, he is doing his Doctoral studies at Serampore University in India.

We congratulate him and pray to God to give him the strength to succeed in this important historical position.