St. Anthony's college, Kandy.

Type:- Roman Catholic Secondary School (Government Assisted PrivateSchool)
Established:- 1854
Founder:- Rev. Fr. Felice Alexander Zoppi OSFColor(s):- Maroon, Light Blue and Dark Blue
Website:- www.antonians.org

St. Anthony’s College, Kandy founded in 1854, is one of the prestigious and leading Roman Catholic Schools in Sri Lanka. St Anthony's College has produced manydistinguished alumni, including Presidents, Ministers and many parliamentarians in Sri Lanka.      

History

Beginnings

The Roman Catholic Church had established itself in the Maritime areas from 1505. In 1820 the superior of all the Oratorians in Ceylon, Vincent de Rozairo, himself came as the first missionary to Kandy. He put up a church, which occupied the very same grounds whereon the present Scots Kirk stands. In 1828 the Scots Kirk site was found to be too small and hilly and accordingly a petition was submitted to the Governor - General Sir Edward Barnes who promptly presented the Catholic Church with a new site. It was roughly a square 152 ft. by 150 ft. upon which the second Roman Catholic Church was built. This is the very same site on which St. Anthony's Cathedral stands today. It was realized that building churches alone could not contribute to the success of the missionary efforts that commenced in 1820. In September 1843, an Italian Oratorian, Fr. Orazio Bettacchini was sent to the Kandyan mission who, during his missionary year 1843/44, opened a school in Kandy on the same premises. But, in August 1844, his successor Fr. Reinaud, who continued as missionary until 1848, began his missionary career by pulling down the school, which Fr. Bettacchini had put up.
Yet, it was not until November 1853, when Fr. Felice Zoppi, a Franciscan from the Chinese missionary field was sent to Kandy by Monsignor Joseph Maria Bravi D.d., O.S.B., that Fr. Bettacchini's complaint was looked into. Fr. Zoppi promptly set about his task by opening a school for boys and one for girls at the house where he resided, in January 1854, with a Mr. Van Twest as Head Teacher of the Boys School. This was the birth of St. Anthony's School. Soon after which, Fr Zoppi sent word to Mgr. Bravi through Fr. Leone Cingolani, informing him of his success in opening the schools. But the message was never delivered and Fr. Zoppi subsequently wrote to Mgr. Bravi who replied on 12 March 1854, officially acknowledging the opening of both schools, at the present premises of St. Anthony's Cathedral.
The number of students on roll at the inception was 62 boys and 28 girls. The girls' school was shifted to Katukelle in 1887, where a convent was opened for the Good Shepherd Nuns. The St Anthony's has a large amount of land given by the former minister, P B A Weerakoon.

Principals of St. Anthony's College

• 1854–1856        Rev. Fr. Felice Zoppi, OSF (Founder)
• 1856–1869        Under supervision of Parish Priests, the school had a succession of laymen who functioned as administrators during this period. They were: Messrs Poorey, Peiris, De Silva, Fernando, A. Staples, Geddes and Paul.
• 1870–1871        Irish Christian Brothers (Rev. Bros. John & Paul)
• 1871–1872        Mr. W. Hopp (Administrative Head)
• 1872–1874        Mr. J. Jorden (Administrative Head)
• 1875–1876        Rev. Fr. D.H. Vanderstraaten, OSB (Lateran Basilica)
• 1876–1877        Rev. Fr. Paul Perera, OSB
• 1877–1879        Rev. Fr. Dom Maurus Craner, OSB
• 1880–1892        Mr. R.P. Jansz (Head Master)
• 1892–1898        Rev. Fr. D.H. Leitan, OSB
• 1898–1906        Rev. Fr. M. Craner, OSB
• 1907–1914        Rev. Fr. Dom Philip Caspersz, OSB
• 1915–1916        Rev. Fr. Basil Hyde, OSB
• 1916–1921        Rev. Fr. James Caspersz, OSB
• 1921–1943        Rev. Fr. Lawrence Hyde, OSB
• 1944–1957        Rev. Fr. D. Rosati, OSB
• 1957–1961        Rev. Fr. Hilarion Rudolph, OSB (University of Oxford)
• 1961–1967        Rev. Fr. D.I. Robinson, OSB
• 1968–1977        Rev. Fr. Aidan DeSilva, OSB
• 1977–1979        Rev. Fr. D. Lanfranc Amerasinghe, OSB
• 1979–1994        Rev. Fr. Dom Stephen Abraham, OSB
• 1994–2005        Rev. Fr. Dom Hilarion Fernando, OSB
• 2005–2013        Rev. Fr. B.K.Titus Herbert Rodrigo, OSB
• 2013–pressent Rev. Fr. Henry Bernad Wijetrathne, OSB

College Anthem (Sports Anthem)

Rally round the banner of the College,
Rally round the Maroon, Double Blue,
Antonians young, Antonians old,
Your voices ring out "Lux de Coelo"…..,
Matches may be won or lost,
Never mind defeat……,
Should all our records be forgotten?,
No… no… no… no… no…,
Antonians will be there………,
Antonians will be there!

Former College Anthem

Sweet childhood home, our alma mater blest
Foster Mother and nurse, the school we love the best
Let's sing our praises till our voices echo
In distant hills and plains and Lanka's distant shores
Till they spread beyond to lands far and wide,
In mighty waves that rise in swelling tide
With youthful voices that in chorus sing
And with our hearts our praises bring

Forward, Forward to the fore
The school we love and cherish
By sorrow undismayed
By success over swayed
The light from heaven shall guide us,
The strength of arm shall aid us
To range to the fore, Antonians, to the fore
The school we love to the Fore.

(Composed by Mr.Cyril Brown)