Rev. Fr. Luigi Peceinnellei, an Italian, who was responsible for the spiritual welfare of the Catholies in the area of Maggona, founded a Sodality with about four members in the premises which is now known as St.Vincent's Home from the surrounding villages who were leading contemplative lives. To these Sodalists he entrusted 12 orphans, who were brought from an orphanage in the central part of the country.
In 1883 the Priests and Brothers of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate (OMI) arrived in Colombo and Dr. Christopher Bonjean OMI was appointed Archbishop of Colombo. With these changes taking place in the Catholic Church in the country, Fr. Peccennellei sold the entire property of St. Vincent's Home to the Archbishop and handed over the care of the sodalists along with the orphans to the Archdiocese. On April 12th 1884, Archbishop Bonjean OMI appointed Fr. Adrian Duffo OMI to take over the management of the Institute. From then onwards the Oblates started work under the guidance of the Archbishop. Since the time of Fr. Adrian Duffo OMI, The Manager and Superior of St. Vincent's Home had been an Oblate. In 1892 the Oblate Brothers arrived at St. Vincent's Home and started to expand and improve the institute. The British Government, having seen and appreciated the work of the Oblates at Maggona, requested the Archbishop of Colombo to take charge of the juvenile delinquents, who were under the care of the Wesleyan Missionaries.
St Vincent's Home, Maggona, is committed to assist the under privileged children of Sri Lanka.
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St. Vincent's Home, Maggona, is an Institute for under privileged children, founded in 1881 by the first European missionaries and the first Social Service Institute to be established in Sri Lanka. To provide guidance and training to these children, St Vincent's Home is managed by resident Priests & Brothers of the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).
The Institute provides education, clothing, medical, board & lodging. Some of the children are orphans, have a single parent while some are abandoned by their families due to financial or personal reasons, children living in difficult circumstances in their homes, some traumatised and unmanageable at home due to socio/economic reasons. The children are sent here by the Dept of Probation & Child Care and the Juvenile Courts.
We have a Technical/Vocational Training School and courses are conducted in carpentry, welding, automobile maintenance, electrical maintenance, to name a few. This is to give them an opportunity to settle in life once they leave the Institute.
The aim of St. Vincent's Home is to protect, educate and train the children and adolescents in Life-Affirming Activities & that they will be able to help our country and help our communities to flourish and be responsible citizens of Sri Lanka. Our mission is to continue our service to the less fortunate children so that they will have their basic education which is a right of the child and other vocational training.
The Oblate congregation extended its mission to the caring of the aged, and the idea of establishing facilities for elders’ care and home came into being.
Sri Lanka has an aging population with most of the elders living alone as their sons and daughters are now domiciled overseas. The elderly in Sri Lanka have become a vulnerable population, while some having finances to manage, still many others do not have any resources. Some elders prefer to live in an elders’ care home as they do not want to be a burden on their families and at times experience intolerance from their own family members. There are also unmarried people who are destitute and homeless and are keen to admit themselves to an elders’ home.
There is a significant increase in abuse and neglect of elders in Sri Lanka. The new ministry of the Oblate congregation and the community of St Vincent’s are committed to reach out to the elderly. The main aim of this mission is to help elders restore their dignity and provide them a secure and peaceful place to spend the last years of their lives.
