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The Right Reverend Edmund Pieris ( Sinhala: එඩ්මන්ඩ් පීරිස්), O.M.I. (27 December 1897 – 4 September 1989) was a Roman Catholic
Bishop of Chilaw The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chilaw (Lat: ''Dioecesis Chilavensis'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Erected as the Diocese of Galle in 1939, the diocese is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Colombo. In 1 ...
, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was born in
Chilaw Chilaw ( si, හලාවත, translit=Halāvata, ta, சிலாபம், translit=Cilāpam) is a large town in Puttalam District, North Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is governed by an urban council. The town is located 80 kilometres away f ...
, the son of Mihindukulasuriya Manuel Diogu Pieris and Weerasinghage Clara Peiris and educated at St. Joseph's College, Colombo. He entered St. Bernard's Seminary in Borello, Colombo to study for the priesthood and was ordained in 1924, after which he graduated in Oriental Studies at the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
. In 1939 he was consecrated as the
Bishop of Chilaw The Roman Catholic Diocese of Chilaw (Lat: ''Dioecesis Chilavensis'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Erected as the Diocese of Galle in 1939, the diocese is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Colombo. In 1 ...
to follow Bishop-elect Louis Perera, who had been appointed as the first bishop but died before he could be consecrated. He introduced Sinhalese culture into the ritual and built many churches and chapels in rural areas. He resigned the episcopy in 1972 to become Bishop Emeritus. He also served on several government boards and committees and was President of the
Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society The Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RASSL) is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is one of the oldest learned societies in Sri Lanka with a history of over 160 years. It was established on 7 February 1845, paralleling the Royal Asiatic Societ ...
from 1959 to 1961. After his death in 1989 Chilaw council erected a life size statue to his memory at the entrance to Bridge Street.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peiris, Edmund 1897 births 1989 deaths Alumni of the University of London Sinhalese writers Roman Catholic bishops of Chilaw 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Sri Lanka Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate