Harold de Soysa

Charles Harold Wilfred de Soysa MA (1907-1971) was the first Ceylonese Anglican Bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka.[1]

Right Reverend
Harold de Soysa
Anglican Bishop of Colombo
ChurchAnglican Church of Ceylon
SeeAnglican Diocese of Colombo
In office1964 — 1971
PredecessorBishop Graham Campbell
SuccessorCyril Lindon Abeynaike
Orders
OrdinationCuddesdon
Personal details
Born1907 Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
Died1971
Previous postArchdeacon of Colombo

Born to Sir Wilfred and Lady Evelyn de Soysa, he was educated at Royal College, Colombo and graduated from Oriel College, Oxford obtaining Second Class Honours in Theology. Thereafter he was trained for the Priesthood at Cuddesdon College and was ordained in 1934 at St Paul's Cathedral.[2][3][4]

After working in England for a short period, he returned to Ceylon to serve in Kandy and Moratuwa. He was the Principal of the Colombo Divinity School and was made the Archdeacon of Colombo in 1955. In 1964 he became the first Ceylonese Bishop of Colombo and was one of only two Bishops of Colombo to be elected uncontested.[1][2][4][5]

He played a very important role in the Ecumenical Movement and the Church Union. In fact, his work in this area was so well recognised that he was one of three delegates appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Michael Ramsey in the Anglican-Roman Catholic conversations.[1][4][6]

He was instrumental in the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour. He died before its completion in 1971 and was interred at the Cathedral.[1][7] His younger brother, Ryle de Soysa, was a first-class cricketer.

See also

References
  1. Rev. Sydney Knight. "Bishop Harold de Soysa". Rootsweb.ancestry.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  2. "History". HolyEmmanuelChurch.com. Holy Emmanuel Church Moratuwa. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  3. Minoli de Soysa. "A daughter's tribute: My father's life was his honour". Sunday Times.
  4. "Three to Observe". The Living Church. 145. Vatican Council. 1962. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  5. Dilshan Joseph (10 February 2019). "Holy Emmanuel Church, Moratuwa: A towering monument of faith". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  6. Anglican/Roman Catholic Joint Preparatory Commission (2 January 1968), The Malta Report (PDF), retrieved 1 October 2019
  7. "The Cathedral of the Diocese of Colombo". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
Religious titles
Preceded by
Bishop Graham Campbell		 Bishop of Colombo
1964 – 1971		 Succeeded by
Cyril Lindon Abeynaike
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