Rev. Bro. Lewis Gervaise (1922 – 1926)
Bro. Lewis the founder of Maris Stella was indeed a great educationist though his name never hit the headlines of the popular press. He was born of humble parents in Auvurene, France and made his profession as a Marist Brother in 1895. Small of stature but of boundless energy he was noted for his brisk, stooping gait and incisiveness of speech.
His life was an odyssey in the field of education. In 1903 when anti-clericalism was raging in France and the religious were exiled young Bro. Lewis set sail for Africa and for some time taught in a Marist school in Johannesburg, and then he sojourned in Aden.
Next he moved on with missionary zeal on the path of St. Paul into Myteline (Lesbos) an island in the Aegean Sea, where he laboured for three years. From there he came as the Director of the Marist Community at St. Michael’s Battcaloa in 1911. In 1917 he found himself at St. Mary’s College, Negombo. He it was who took the initiative and tacled the problem of shifting St. Mary’s to spacious grounds and better buildings. 1926 saw him again as a teacher in Patras, Greece by 1928 he was back in Ceylon and proceeded to found three more schools: St. Joseph’s at Bandarawala, Joseph Vaz at Wennappuwa, and Christ-King at Tudella. And then he went on furlough to Europe to come back as the Director of the Juniorate at Our Lady’s Hermitage at Tudella
Rev. Bro.Joseph (1926 – 1926)
Bro. Joseph the second Principal Of Maris Stella was a versatile man with very high French academic qualifications. He was essentially a scientist and a philosopher and a musician too who did much to improve the Physics laboratory as he used to manufacture his own apparatus. For instance he set up a four-valve wireless receiving set, the first of its kind in Negombo. He was one who had read the whole gamu of St. Thomas Aquinas and that was a very rare feat for anyone. He was a deep thinker and had a very philosophic outlook on life, and one who used to read philosophy at table as he dined. He would have done well at a university, for his style of teaching was lecturing and senior students often found him too deep to understand with his encyclopedic knowledge of things he was indeed a professor who was absent-minded into the bargain. He was a man of few words, strong physically and in character too and his conversation was always of a se riouos type.
There was a lighter side to his character, for he came from a family of musicians who formed an orchestra by themselves because cach of them could play an instrument well.
Rev. Bro. Anthony Pigenwall(1927 – 1949)
Bro. Anthony is one of the Marist pioneers who came to eylon in 1911. He is a man of whom it may be said in the words of Shakespeare. His life was gentle and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, “This was a man!” Thousands of students who have passed through him will vouch for the fact that he has always been gentle: gentle in eart, gentle in words and gentle in action. He had a heart full of the milk of kindness in manner, human kindness and a deep understanding of human nature.
His kindness knew no bounds he soon carned the dignified sobriquet ol Dounds. He had a sedate bearing and walked with a measured gait so much so that the candle. Truly it befitted him in many ways of he did shed a light that illumined the and never uttered anything harsh. He was always soft sopken minds of many. not in his nature to do so and truly hewas noble and gentle in all that he did. I believe it is his philosophic attitude to life that enabled him to behave in that exemplary manner. He is a self-made man as a result of his insatiable reading. His eading covers a very wide spectrum of knowledge, such as theology, philosophy, history, psychology and scriptures. He isn’t a superficiala reader he reads and he thinks eeply, and he reads not only in English but also in French and erman too.
Rev. Bro. Conran (1949 – 1956)
With the departure of Bro. Anthony the principalship was aken over by Bro. Conran In the lustihood of youth this Irish lad had come to Ceylon and fallen in love with its blue skies and evergreen palms to spend twenty eight years of his life in the Marist vineyard of the Lord here.
He was a brilliant scholar well versed in classics and modern languages who graduated with a ‘materially and culturally very great. College hall and the boarding House above it were his achievement. The public adress system installed by him carried his soft melifluous voice to all corners of the school. The various associations he set up contributed to the enrichment of the college life The fil society, the photographers club, the rifle club the workshop and the Debating Society are all the work of his cultural insight. His contribution was the greatest on the cultural side. He encouraged the study of Art, Literature and Drama and induced the boys to take part in various competitions and contests in school and out of school. He was aware of the nationalist upsurge in the country and in school, and he did his best to temper it with a Christian mellowness.
He also encouraged games of all types by by being the Prefect of Games for some time.
Rev. Bro. Stanislaus Gunawardana(1956 – 1959)
Was the first Sri Lankan Brother to be appoitned as the principal of Maris Stella College. He continued the work done by Br. Conran. He maintained good discipline in the school and paid lot of emphasis in the improvement of English language. He did a lot to improve the reading habits of the students by supplying new books to the library.
Rev. Bro Peter Wijethunga (1960 – 1966)
It was Br. Peter who had to face utmost challenges as Principal of Maris Stella college. It was during his tenure of office that the schools were taken over by the government. Maris Stella College and some other leading denominational schools were allowed to run as private schools. Worst was these schools were not allowed to charge school fees ans no assistance was given by the government to run these schools. So, Br. Peter had to face the herculean task of finding money to run the school. Lot of good teachers left the school and joined the government to get a better salary. Br. Peter undaunted faced all these challenges. We are indebted to him. It is because of the bold decisions he took then that we have Maris Stella today.
Rev. Bro Clinton Perera (1979 – 1989)
When Bro. Clinton took over the reins of Maris Stella he has just arrived after his higher studies in science in UK and USA. He is also and alumni of Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York. He completed his Msc at salford University, England. Although his forte was chemistry he is a person of wide culture with a broad outlook of life. His vision of education is very progressive. As a principal he was quite strict with students as well as with the staff members. But his students and teachers admired his management and no nonsense attitude. During his tenure of office the college improved a lot in academics and curricular activities. He was more respected than feared.
Rev. Bro Shanthi Liyanage (1990 – 1995)
Br. Shanthi Liyanage fresh out of the Colombo university with a B.Ed degree and a M. Ed. from higher education Institute Maharagama took over the reins from Br. Clinton. He is an expert educationist who did much to improve the standard of education of the school. He had a special predilection for English, and he did everything to improve standard of English among the students. It was during his time of office that imposing multipurpose building came up which is now being used as an auditorium, gymnasium, Assembly hall etc.
Rev. Bro. Godfrey Perera (1996 – 2001)
Bro. Godfrey Perera took over from Br. Shanthi. He holds of a special degree in English and is an excellent teacher of English Language and English literature. His emphasis was mostly on Primary education. He enlisted several efficient
teachers to the Primary section of the school to improve its standard. Some of them are still in service. He also did lot to improve the aesthetic studies of the school. For this purpose, he put up a 8 set of class rooms to be used for practical.
Rev. Bro. Mervyn Perera (2007 – 2009)
Bro. Mervyn Perera succeeded Bro. Sunanda. He had a very
successful period as Principal. Field of sports took mighty turn to the better. Discipline of the school was at its highest. He was able to lay a solid foundation for the growth of sports at the College.
Rev. Bro. Mervyn Perera (2005 – 2007 / 2010 – 2017)
Maris Stella College, able to lead Negombo for ten years in two spells & spent another 10 Years as the Provincial of Marist Brothers in Sri Lanka, Pakistan & India. Around the scope of his leadership as the provincial and again as the Head of two schools, he cultured a new vision and planed, executed the construction of new buildings and shifting, MSC, Branch to a newly bought 20 acre land at Thimbirigaskatuwa, thus building a total school in one go.
At Maris Stella College, Negombo, Bro. Sunanda showed his progressive achievements in producing a magnificent primary section in a new 5 storey building. He was able to manage a stunning progress in the field of sports winning the All Island School Athletic Chapionship 8 consecutive years & Sir John Tarbet Athletic Championship 4 consecutive years. He was able to lift the school name to international level in every way. Then he handed over the baton of the school administration to Bro.Chinthana Nonis in early 2017.
Under his tenure of office he started new innovative projects for students to encourage them to participate in the activities, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. He exercised his management skills to motivate the students and teachers to achieve success through appreciation days of their achievements of the whole gamut of activities and academics, competencies. He brought together all the associations and clubs in to one umbrella to celebrate their achievements and organised, annual celebrations. He followed his own 3 C’s, Consultation, Cooperation and Consensus. He organised Christmas family get- together for all the rank and file, of the staff and co-workers. Annual retreats and motivational programs, and also picnics for the staff members and non-academic staff alike.
Rev. Bro. Chinthana Nonis (2017 – 2018)
Bro. Chinthana Nonis came to Maris Stella College with his transfer from St. Joseph’s College, Nugegoda in 2017. After serving for two years in the college, he opted to go for higher studies. During his short period of office he had dreams about the college development in every aspects however with his keen interest in co-curicular activities and sports, school could claim many trophies in athletics.
Rev. Bro. Michael De Waas (2018-2021)
He is an experienced teacher in English, who devoted his time and energy improving English standard of the college. Being very faithful to his duty and task he formed his students too in that time after short period as acting principal. He was elected provincial of Sri Lanka province. Later he was elected a counselor general in the mayor superior generals’ counsel in Rome.
Later he was assigned as the principal from 2018 to 2022. It was a difficult period to the whole country, with the uprise of corona virus. Schools could not run on a regular timetable. Closing and opening on and off was a precocious situation. But he managed to run school on line education whenever needed. He arranged the schools 100 years celebration.
College chapel got a new face lift. A building block was built that was named centenary block. Designed a banner on the concept ‘My school, Our school’ (uf.a mdie, wfma mdie,) initiated colour washing and face lift to class rooms and buildings he get a batch of students (1993 group) to erect a stature in … of the founder of Marist Congregation. St. Marcelin Champagnat. Which was placed at the rear entrance of the college. Renovation and restricting the cricket pitch to a tug wicket.
