Fr. Benedict Joseph, the first priest of Eldeniya Parish and a pioneering figure in Catholic media in Sri Lanka, passed away on September 11, 2025, at the age of 85.
Ordained in 1970 by the late Thomas Cardinal Cooray, Fr. Benedict devoted his life not only to pastoral ministry but also to communications, serving as Editor of Gnanartha Pradeepaya, Director of the Catholic Press, and head of the Social Communication Centre in Borella.
He was instrumental in organizing the annual SIGNIS/OCIC Film Awards and was directly responsible for Catholic television and radio programs broadcast through Rupavahini, ITN, SLBC, and Radio Veritas Manila. A trailblazer in media, he produced Sri Lanka’s first TV Studio Mass and introduced the well-known Catholic program Supuwatha.
Fr. Benedict also contributed significantly to national cultural and media bodies, including the Sinhala Dictionary Advisory Committee and the Sri Lanka Kala Mandalaya. He played a key role as Chief Media Coordinator during Pope St. John Paul II’s visit to Sri Lanka in 1995 and represented the country at several international Catholic media conferences.
Known as a mentor and consultant to many journalists and communicators in Sri Lanka and Asia, Fr. Benedict leaves behind a rich legacy of faith and media service.
Final rites were held on September 13 at Borella Cemetery.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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