Name Justin Gnanapragasam Church Roman Catholic Church Alma mater Papal Seminary | Province Colombo Installed 13 October 2015 | |
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Born 13 May 1948 (age 75)
Karampon, Ceylon ( 1948-05-13 ) Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna | ||
Native name ஜஸ்ரின் ஞானப்பிரகாசம் Predecessor Thomas Savundaranayagam | ||
Mullaitivu Church of The Infant Jesus, Uduppukulam
Right Reverend Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam (Tamil: ஜஸ்ரின் பேனாட் ஞானப்பிரகாசம்; born 13 May 1948) is a Sri Lanka Tamil priest and the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna.
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Early life
Gnanapragasam was born on 13 May 1948 in Karampon on the island of Velanaitivu in northern Ceylon. He was educated at St. Anthony's College, Kayts, the minor seminary in Jaffna and St. Patrick's College, Jaffna. He then studied philosophy at the National Seminary of Kandy and theology at the Papal Seminary in Pune.
Career
Gnanapragasam was ordained as a priest in April 1974. He then held various positions: assistant priest in Kilinochchi and Valaipadu (1974–75); assistant parish priest in Uruthirapuram (1975–76); and assistant priest in Ilavalai (1976–79). Between 1979 and 1980 he studied ecumenical theology at the University of Hull. On returning to Sri Lanka he served as parish priest in Mareesankoodal and vice-rector of St. Henry’s College, Ilavalai (1980–85). He was a lecturer at the University of Jaffna's Department of Christian Civilization from 1982 to 1984.
Gnanapragasam then returned to the UK to study education science in Southampton between 1986 and 1989. He was then director of a group of state schools and rector of St. Henry’s College, Ilavalai (1990–94); dean of the Ilavalai Deanery (1995-02); visiting professor at the major seminary in Jaffna (1992-06); and rector of St. Patrick's College, Jaffna (2002–07).
Gnanapragasam became an examiner of doctoral thesis at University of Jaffna in 2002, vicar general of the Jaffna Diocese in 2007 and director of the diocesan press in 2008. He was a member of the University of Jaffna's senate from 1998 to 2014. In October 2015 he was appointed Bishop of Jaffna.