Installation and Institution of Rev.Marc Billimoria
As the 13th Headmaster of S.Thomas College at Gurutalawa
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The Service of Institution and Installation of Rev. Marc Billiomoria
as the 13th Headmaster of S. Thomas College at Gurutalawa
took place at the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, S. Thomas College,
Gurutalawa on Monday the 11th June 2007. The service commenced
at 10.30. a.m. officiated by the Rt. Rev. Duleep De Chickera the 14th
Bishop of the Diocese of Colombo.
The chapel was packed to capacity with a sizeable overflow. The congregation
included sundry members of the Board of Governors, Old Boys of the College
in hopeful numbers augmenting members of the Committee, friends and
relations of Fr.Marc and parishioners of Holy Trinity Church,
Mirihana, in which he was, up to his appointment, the incumbent Vicar.
The parishoners had made their way in a hired bus; truly testimony
to the affection and regard they had for him and a symbolic
augury for the future of the school.
There was a special order of service which commenced with the singing
of the Old Hundred ,the Hymn All people that on earth do dwell
based on Psalm 100, the Entrance Hymn to the Holy Communion
Service initially up to the point of The Sermon And the Creed. The sermon
preached by the Bishop was on GOD’s faithfulness and Caring enunciated
by Jesus himself in the well known teaching Consider the Lilies of field.
Then came the INSTITUTION which was preceded by a sequence
of Questions and Answers relating to the execution of his stewardship
as the Headmaster. The Lord Being my helper and culminating in his actual
commissioning and a special blessing on the Headmaster and his
family present in person. Then the Bishop accompanied by The Archdeacon
of Nuwara Eliya, the Chaplain, and the Headmaster, proceeded to the
Headmasters Stall for his INSTALLATION after which he was formally presented
to the gathering of people present.
The service then continued with The Ministry of the Sacrament
,the Post Communion In which the Collect was said by the New Headmaster,
before the Blessing and The Dismissal and the Recessional Hymn Forth
in thy name, O Lord , I go.
The gathering then went in procession led by the College Band to
the Canon.A.J.Foster Memorial Hall for General Assembly. A feature of
the procession was the inclusion of three horses obtained for the school,
courtesy Mr. Jacques Hughebaert who had been placed In Charge
of the school till the appointment of the new Head.
Addressing the Assembly the Bishop referred to the dire straits the
College had been in and referred to the unexpected emergence
of Mr Hughebaert as divinely provided at a juncture when the closure
of the school had appeared to be imminent. The presence of a greatly
increased student population now, was indicative of measures he
had taken to stem the tide. He welcomed the new Head who was not only
a priest but an old Thomian and called for the support of all concerned.
However he struck a discordant note, as far as the many Old Boys present
were concerned, when his Lordship peremptorily cautioned against interference
in the affairs of the School unaware of the circumstances in which he
was moved to say so, particularly in the context of the recent
past when it was precisely the Old boys who had
filled the breach and brought the state of the school due to years
of administrative neglect, to the fore, and set a train of
events which had changed its course to its present regenerative possibility.
It
was axiomatic that with Father Marc as Head, with the support of
Mr.Hughebaert and Mr Christo Gonawela as Manager, there would be no
question of interference.
Mr Hughbaert made the point that the horses he introduced would
establish a resonance with the era of the School under Dr Hayman
in which there were horses and the school was much sought after
for the special type of Education it imparted.
Rev. Marc Billimoria then addressed the assembly and conveyed to all
present, by his assurances and bearing, that the school was indeed
on the threshold of a new Era which would reach out to the values of the
past in the pursuit of excellence though under radically changed social
conditions.
The Head Prefect proposed the customary Vote of Thanks and the assembly
concluded with the singing of the College Song and the National Anthem.
The Service was conducted in all three languages and the singing was
robust.
The Head master then invited all those present for Lunch. It was a vegetarian
lunch and at the behest of the Head , no different from that of the
Boys. It was noteworthy that the boys were smartly dressed.
P.S.Duleepkumar.
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