09th March 2022 21:02:15 Hours
Rev Fr (Dr) Noel Dias, Senior Lecturer in Law (Retd) of the University of Colombo, Lecturer Sri Lanka Law College, Chaplain, Catholic Lawyers’ Guild and the newly-inducted Chaplain for Army Christian Fellowship this afternoon (9) paid a courtesy call on General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army at the Army Headquarters.
The incoming Chaplain Rev Fr (Dr) Noel Dias for Christian affairs in the organization was warmly received on arrival at the Commander’s office where a cordial exchange of views and pleasantries ensued.
“We are very pleased to have you as the new Chaplain for Christian affairs in the Army Christian Fellowship, and the Army in the same spirit would like to reciprocate by giving all our support for development of your religious establishments or the community as ours is an outfit of all faiths. The Army with its professional engineering resources is always prepared to lend our expertise for renovations of churches and other religious establishments through which our bonds of goodwill can further be strengthened. We are always willing to give our maximum cooperation for community projects the church could organize by way of medical camps, self-help projects, relief services, etc in addition to the technical support that can be given to constructions and renovations. In short, our manpower expertise and resources can be made available for development of all religious faiths in the country on request. Your new affiliation in the Army would certainly serve a boost in this regard”, the Commander of the Army remarked.
Rev Fr (Dr) Noel Dias expressing his warm sentiments thanked General Shavendra Silva for his frank assurances that could help forge and revitalized religious amity in the country and maintained that the Church too could closely work with the Army for its future spiritual development projects.
General Shavendra Silva gratefully acknowledging his new role and entry as Chaplain for Army Christian Fellowship extended his warm greetings and pledged all the support for his spiritual assignments in the organization.
At the end of the interaction, General Shavendra Silva added memories to his new assignment and awarded a special memento to Rev Fr (Dr) Noel Dias before his departure.
Prior to Rev Fr (Dr) Noel Dias, Rev. Heshan De Silva of the Baptist Association served as the Chaplain of the Army Christian Fellowship. In the past also, the Chaplain Rev Fr (Dr) Noel Dias coordinated Christian affairs in the organization has supported the conduct of religious congregations for Army members of Christian faith.
