First Lankan to be ordained a priest in Australia

Dishan Candappa, son of the veteran journalist, E.C.T. Candappa, became the first Sri Lankan to be ordained a priest in the Catholic Church in Australia last month at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne.

Fr. Dishan, 37, arrived in Melbourne with his parents in 1987, completed his secondary school studies at the Christian Brothers College, East St Kilda, and proceeded to obtain a doctorate in structural engineering from Monash University before deciding on a priestly vocation in the Church.

He was ordained on 4 July this year by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Denis Hart. Concelebrating with him were three auxiliary bishops and a large number of priests.