Mervyn St.Clair Anthony Nicholas

An Appreciation – 

13h year Remembrance of Mervyn St.Clair Anthony Nicholas

Former Parish Council Secretary of St Xavier’s Church, Nuwara Eliya- ExCo Member of St Xavier’s Old Boys’ Association. 

Mr. Mervin St.Clair Anthony Nicholas, son of the late Louis Herbert Nicholas and Mildred Gertrude De Zilva was born on the 10th of July 1931 as the fifth child in the family. He was educated at St. Joseph’s College Trincomalee and in 1949 he completed his SSC certificate. 

He has been the nephew of Victor A. Nicholas, the second Ceylonese, Post Master General of Sri Lanka (1951-1956) who initiated the numbering of the Colombo city boundaries as Colombo court no 1, Colombo court no 2.etc.

Irrespective of his political views, his service to the political arena is appreciated. He had been a founder member of the All-Ceylon UNP Youth League, and was elected to the organizing committee of the youth league of the Trincomalee District in September 1949. He had been a delegate to the UNP annual conferences and the UNP National Executive Committee. Being an active trade unionist, he mooted the formation of the UNP Labour Union in 1950. 

In early 50’s, he had been a member of a committee comprised of Rt.Hon.D.S. Senanayake- the Prime Minister, S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Sir John Kotalawela, Hon.Ministers J. R. Jayawardena, Dudley Senanayake, Susantha de Fonseka, Eardley Perera, and Messrs. Ivor Baptiste, Mervyn St. C. Nicholas, D. B. Dodampegama, Cremo Weerasekera, Gamini Jayasuriya, Meera Lebbe M. Mustapha, L. Bodinagoda, Andrew Fernando, Tudor Wijesiriwardena, M.S. M. Faleel, G.S. Fernando, T. Jeganathan, Charles Dias, Arthur de Silva, and F. J. A. Alles. The latter sixteen being members of the Youth League.

He has served as the Secretary and later as President of the Government Clerical Service Union Ceylon (GCSU) Branch of Matale in 1965; the publication of the Journal “Red Tape’ was possible due to his untiring efforts. Subsequently, he had been the secretary of the GCSU Braches of Pollonaruwa and Batticaloa. After the inauguration of the Jathika Lipikaru Sangamaya he was the Vice President of the Nuwara Eliya branch. Being a journalist, he has contributed a number of articles and news items to the UNP Journals from 1949 to 1959 and after 1993. 

He was recognized as a linguist and was fluent in English, French, German, Tamil, and Sinhala

Mr.Mervyn Nicholas has functioned as a freelance journalist making awareness of religious and secular activities to prominent journals. He has served the Times of Ceylon as a correspondent in 1951 and has been a regular correspondent to the Catholic Messenger, The Union of Catholic Asian news based in Thailand, the Gnanartha Pradeepaya, and Padukawalan-the Tamil Messenger. He did not stop there, he went on to writing to UCAN -Union of Catholic Asian News Journal based in Hong Kong that opened doors to publish studies, papers, research articles of the Federation of Bishops’ Conference founded in 1972.

It is a well-known fact that the annual celebrations of St. Anthony’s feast on the island of Kachchaithive that established the Sri Lankan ownership of the Island when India too was claiming the same. When many were proposing to continue with the celebration at least on religious grounds in 1968, Mr.Nicholas kept his pen busy writing to the papers when the pilgrims were worried about their provisions to be taken to the Island when the church has decided not to take part in the celebrations. He wrote to the Sun on the 16th March 1968 posing a question “If this so what is the need for this exodus to Kachaithive at all” 

It is apt to add this year as we celebrate the 73rd Independence of the country, a bit of his thought that was shared by him through the Sunday Times of the 15th April 1990 ‘ that natural fervor transcends all barriers of class or caste or politics and makes one think in terms of one Sri Lanka and look rather than polarized groups like Sinhala, Tamil, Muslims, Burghers, Eurasians whatnot.” 

He had been an organizer of travels and tours in the fields of sports, cultural and denominational pilgrimage. He made his maiden trip to India in December 1952 and having toured India three times, he made his final trip in 2004 visiting the old Goa and has had the great privilege of visiting the Church in Goa in India that holds the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier, the 15th Century missionary. 

He arrived in Nuwara Eliya in 1971 and served the Highways, Kachcheri, and RDA as the Chief Clerk. Later he was employed at the Turf Club and CTC Eagle insurance Company.

From 1978 to 1997 he served St. Xavier’s Church Nuwara Eliya as its Parish Council Secretary and also served the Vincent De Paul’s Society as its secretary. 

In addition, he has been the President of the Kandy Diocesan Central Council of the St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP), member of the National Council of the SVP, delegate for inter-religious; social communications; Laity conferences, and a member of the Kandy Diocesan Pastoral Council and General counselor of the Catholic Union of Sri Lanka for a period of ten years.

Mr.Nicholas has been the National Organizer of the Burgher-Eurasian Alliance and has rendered yeomen service in compiling the biographies of the community personages.

He was instrumental in introducing HABITAT to Nuwara Eliya which is successful in its progress. He was a very active member in the Avadi Lanka organization of the Nuwara Eliya Branch. 

In 1997 when the old Boys’ Association of St Xavier’s College was revived, he was appointed a Senior advisor to the OBA along with Old Xaverians Messrs. Terrance Codipplili ( Ex. District Superintendent of Postal Service, Ralph Quyn, Sylvester Anthony, W Lamahewa, and W. Livera. Among his contributions, the amendment of the OBA Constitution, writing to the press on the activities of the OBA and providing expert advice to the members are a few of his generous services towards the OBA during the year 1997 to 2004. The writer was a member of the committee that was appointed to revise the Constitution of the OBA in 1997, and the committee comprised of Messrs. Ralph Quyn, G.W.Sigamony Pillai (OBA President), Paul Perera, and Benjamin Jeganathan,(OBA Jt. Secretaries) sat around a table in a small room in Nuwara Eliya opposite the College midst of a sudden heavy rain. As the member started running through the lines, all of a sudden there was a power cut. Finally, the task was completed with dim candlelight and the following day morning the document was ready to be printed. Mr.Nicholas’ write-up to the papers to safeguard the bilingual status and the revival of St Xavier’s College, Nuwara Eliya served a great deal in opening the eyes of the masses. 

In 1998, Mr.Nicholas compiled a letter on behalf of the St Xavier’s OBA to the Governor of the Central province Stanley Thilakaratne with the following closure “ ..It is our humble and sincere desire to see that our children blossom forth as men of good moral standards and well educated. This is what mother Lanka needs today. We the Old Xaverians hail the aspirations of the Government to uplift the educational and moral standards. This augurs well for all of us parents and this will be a forerunner for peace and goodwill among all communities as a well-knit Sri Lankan community.” However, he was disheartened when he did not receive the corporation from the educational authorities in reviving the College which was a long-standing struggle of the people of Nuwara Eliya.

I knew him since 1981 as Melvyn was in my class at St Xavier’s College, Nuwara Eliya. Once we had a hike to the summit of mount Piduruthalagala, I could vividly remember how he taught us how to mark the directions using small pieces of sticks. 

Writing to the Daily News on the 145th Anniversary in 1990 and in 1995 on the 150th anniversary of St Xavier’s church that has its inception anterior to the year 1938, he acknowledges the services of the founder priests and the Bishops of the Diocese of Kandy. He appreciates the services rendered by the Church through St Xavier’s College, the Good Shepherd Convent, Holy Cross Convent, St Anthony’s Convent and school, Good Rest convent, Holy Family convent, St Anthony’s Church at Kandapola, Convent at Shanthipura, and the Boys’ Town run by the De La Salle Brothers. He adds that Sir Oliver Gunathilake, the first Ceylonese Governor of Sri Lanka has had his primary education at GSC that was the primary unit of St Xavier’s College in the days of yore.

He was appreciated by many for his sincere social service and promotion of the English language skills through which many were able to find better employment opportunities and maneuver the English Language. Many an educated would call him an authority of the English Language.

On the first of February 2007, he suffered his third heart attack and passed away peacefully, and the funeral took place on the 3rd of February amidst a large gathering who were evident of the esteem he was held by his fellow men. 

He had been a loving husband to his wife Mrs.Moureen, a loving father to his children: the late Marlene, Marilyn, Melvyn, Rev.Sr.Ayolanthi Mary Queen and Marvin who are successful in their professions. We celebrate his life, but mourn his passing away as a warm and compassionate human being. 

May the soul of this sincere gentleman rest in peace. 

Joint Secretary St. Xavier’s College OBA