Your memory has left a fragrance of sanctity

While sojourning in this life, we invariably meet guardian angels and saints. One such a Saint to me, was Anton Samuel Rodrigo, brother of the late Rev. Fr. Michael Rodrigo, OMI, and Hilda, Petronella and Beatrice.

With recollections obtained from his family, in the parish of St. Mary’s, Dehiwela, I write this appreciation, with deep gratitude to the Good Lord for giving the parish such a role model in the person of Sam, whose memory has left a fragrance of sanctity ever since his passing away on September 17, 2002.

Born of a father, Richard with Methodist and Buddhist connections and a mother, Georgiana, with a Catholic background from Pallansena, Negombo, Sam was educated at St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya.

He started his working life with Rev. Fr. Peter Pillai, OMI, as Manager of the journal, Social Justice, and later joined the staff of Boustead Bros. which became Whittall Boustead and later worked at L.J.M. Pieris and Co.

He and his wife Dorothy, had five children - Shanthini, Michael, Richard, Devayani and Priyanthi. Sam was a livewire of the Dehiwela Parish, being an active Councillor and Secretary of the Parish Council on many occasions. He was the President of the Confraternity of the Sacred Heart, pioneer member of the Legion of Mary and also a pioneer Cottage Group leader when Rev. Fr. Nereus Fernando , OMI, introduced this novel concept to the parish. As he contributed significantly to all publications of the parish, he was often referred to as the historian of St. Mary’s, Dehiwela.He played a leading role in the organization of the Eucharistic Rally in July 1945, under the direction of Rev. Fr. Romauld Fernando, OMI, Parish Priest.

Sam fostered and promoted the family Rosary Crusade of Rev. Fr. Patrick Peyton in Sri Lanka. Motivated by the adage, “The family that prays together stays together, “Sam was in contact with Fr. Peyton and used a network of pen friends to obtain rosaries for distribution. At that time, the Customs imposed a heavy import duty on rosaries on the basis that rosaries are classified as “jewellery”. Sam then battled it out with the Customs, and had the classification changed.

Sam also continually spread the Word of God engaging in the distribution of “The Catholic Messenger’ and foreign Catholic periodicals like Majellan, Divine Love and Universe as well as prayer leaflets, green and brown Scapulars, from his penfriends across the miles, distributing these islandwide. These devotional items were not freely available even in Catholic bookshops, because of prevailing import controls.

Sam was also a pioneer in the propagation of the Devotion to St. Peregrine, invoked by cancer patients and their families. Another first of Sam’s was the popularization of the knowledge of the Padre Pio, the Stigmatist, when he was still alive. Padre Pio has now been elevated to Sainthood. Teaching the Catholic faith to non- Christians wishing to marry Catholics was another duty entrusted to him. I also recall Fr. Michael telling me that he was able to enter the priesthood because Sam very willingly agreed to take over the family responsibilities from his father who had by then retired.

These manifold activities, Sam carried out in the spirit of humility, guided by the Gospel teaching, ‘He must increase, I must decrease’. It was this un-ostentatiousness that sanctified the everyday ordinary acts of charity of Sam. These acts were directed to the spiritual growth of those whom Sam reached out to. “Seek ye first, the Kingdom of God and His Justice, and then all things else will be added unto you” was the motivation that Sam’s life was oriented towards.

He is undoubtedly among the unknown saints, whose Feast is celebrated annually, on All Saints Day. May his little acts of thoughtfulness and charity, motivated by an unconditional love for His Creator, be an example worthy of emulation, by the growing generation.