Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC has been acclaimed for its meritorious service to the nation in constructing 6300 housing units islandwide for tsunami victims, writes Rohan Mathes, Daily News, 101207 at http://www.dailynews.lk/.
Forwarded by Budhi Mulyawan 121007.

This ‘Charity’ organisation which is also the ‘Social Arm’ of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, had in 2005 received the most prestigious Presidential Award for the construction of 6750 Temporary shelters for the victims who had turned destitute overnight, following the ‘Boxing Day’ tragedy in 2004.

Their exemplary service to the country in the name of ‘Humanity’ sans any prejudice of ethnicity, caste, creed or religion had been well recognised and appreciated by the State and the diverse communities of the land.

Caritas Sed-Galle Director Rev. Fr. Damian Arsekularatne at a media conference at the Peacock Hotel in Hambantota on Thursday said,

Caritas Sri Lanka Sedec launched an islandwide programme to re-habilitate the tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, regardless of their race, colour, faith or region based on a plea made by our Holy Father the Pope in Rome, to assist the tsunami-affected countries. We are a religious organisation of charity.

We indulge ourselves in diverse social, cultural and vocational disciplines, with the aim of serving humanity, for a better tomorrow”.

Rev. Fr. Arsekularathna outlined the various housing projects which have been completed and handed over to the beneficiaries countrywide.

He was of the view that as rightly pointed out by Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle at the inauguration last year, the housing units constructed by Caritas, were of the highest quality standards.

Refuting allegations of a hidden agenda behind their nationwide humanitarian services, the Reverend categorically stated that their services were exclusively charity-oriented, and had no clandestine agenda whatsoever, or any pre-determined plan of action to convert the beneficiaries of other faiths.

Later in the evening at a press conference in the premises of St. Mary’s Church in Matara, the Viharadhipathi of the Sri Nagabodhi Purana Viharaya in Meddawatte Matara, the most Venerable Agunabadule Gnanadassi Thera said the tsunami was per se a ‘blessing in disguise’ to many victims, as charitable organisations in the calibre of Caritas Sri Lanka, had done a yeoman service to the nation and launched temporary programmes for their immediate survival and contributed immensely in the provision of sustained livelihoods to the survivors and their kith and kin, regardless of their religious backgrounds.

Additional Divisional Secretary A.H. Ariyarathna also spoke.

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