The Chapel of the Transfiguration, of S.Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia towers majestically from the highest hillock of the campus, a silent witness to the thoughts and prayers, the hopes and aspirations of the generations of Thomian schoolboys, who have trodden it’s long familiar aisles during its long history of ninety seven years to date. The College Chapel was dedicated to the glorious event of the Transfiguration of Christ on 13th February 1927, and we celebrated the 90th anniversary of this event in 2017. In 2018 when College celebrated 100 years at Mount Lavinia it coincided with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Mural of the Transfiguration in the Chapel painted by David Paynter. Special services commemorating the Feast are held annually on the first Sunday in August. The festival celebrates the revelation of the eternal glory of the Second Person of the Trinity, which was veiled during Christ’s life on earth. According to tradition, the event took place on Mount Tabor.
Here in Sydney STC OBA NSW/ACT decided to replicate this hallowed tradition of celebrating the ‘Feast of the Transfiguration’ in 2017. The inaugural Service was held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on 5th August 2017. This event was truly a rare opportunity for the members and well-wishers of the STC OBA in New South Wales and ACT to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration together with the College Community in Sri Lanka who were celebrating the event at a service of Choral Evensong held at the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Mount Lavinia on the same day.
Warden Rev Marc Billimoria has observed that this event should not only be considered as one of a religious nature, but also an opportunity to strengthen the ties that bind Thomians to each other and to their alma mater as well as an occasion to reminisce on their time at STC.
The celebrant of the inaugural service in 2017, was the Dean of Sydney the Rev’d Kanishka Raffel , now the Archbishop of Sydney, who very generously paved the way to make the St Andrews Cathedral available for this occasion. In the following years 2018 and 2019 we held the service at All Saints Church Parramatta, where we hold the annual Thomian Carol service. Although we had made arrangements to hold the service in 2020, we had no choice but to cancel due to the prevailing restrictions to social gatherings around that time.
We are delighted that we have made arrangements to celebrate the
“Feast of the Transfiguration” this year.
Here is our invitation ………
