Reverend Brother Ignatius Warnakula, one of our most beloved former principals, turned 82 on the first day of this month. Throughout his life, he carried out the vision of the Great Saint John Baptist de La Salle which is to give every child a good education and care. He is also the most senior living Reverend Brother in Sri Lanka.
Brother Ignatius taught for 23 years at St. Anne's College. He has taught not only in our College but also in various other academic institutes. At one point in his extensive academic service, he himself taught all 8 subjects available at the time, which is unthinkable today.
Especially in the world we live in today where negative criticism supersedes almost everything, it's very hard to find a person that people don't have anything negative to say, but Reverend Brother Ignatius may well be that person no one has anything negative to talk about. He was affectionately called Brother Igi. He touched so many lives, and everyone who knew Brother Ignatius spoke of him in glowing terms.
He became a clergyman at a very young age (in his early twenties). Brother Ignatius has a plethora of skills. He is like 'Jack of all trades and master of all things!" His wide range of abilities have proven time and time again useful to the cause of the students and the community. Despite him being a clergyman, he demonstrated a strong athletic inclination and often participated in sports with the students. Instead of adopting a reserved demeanor, he proactively engaged with the students by immersing himself in their activities.
The more you learn about him, one thing you realize is that it will be extremely difficult to sum up his character in just a few traits as there are so many. Kindness, diligence, creativity, understanding, vibrancy, orderliness and wisdom are among the many qualities for which the Reverend Brother is well known for.
Many remember him as a charismatic leader and mentor who always took a lively and friendly approach. An example we came across might elaborate this. Denzil Jayasinghe, who was lucky enough to be one of Brother Ignatius' students, once noted in his very interesting and soothing piece about the experience he garnered under the Reverend Brother as "During breakfast, Bro. Igi would pose an IQ question to the boys. The prize for the correct answer was his omelet which he willingly sacrificed. I ended up winning his omelet almost every day. A treasured feast for a twelve-year-old." The only question that comes to mind when we hear stories like this is, 'Why couldn't we join his class?'
Reverend Brother Ignatius has taught many students in many schools and has cultivated immense good deeds throughout his life. It is a great honor for us at St. Anne's College to see him again at the College since mid-2020. Most, if not all, like to stay young, but those of us who were too young at the time to be his students have a rare exception which is that we wish we were older just to be taught by this exemplary and honorable mentor.
Throughout his life, he has been a role model for many students and a great source of inspiration for thousands. He is literally every student's dream teacher. One could write a series of books on the life of Brother Ignatius. We barely scratch the surface to pay tribute to this uniquely amazing, once-in-a-lifetime gem.
As we celebrate this special occasion of his 82nd birthday, we pray for God's abundant blessings of longevity and robust health to be bestowed upon him. Let us also take a moment to acknowledge that he has been chosen by the Almighty, and we trust that the Lord's grace will continuously shine upon him.