Welcome to our Seminary, where faith, education, and community converge to form the leaders of tomorrow. Guided by our vision, mission, and rich history, the seminary is committed to forming future priests who are transformed into living images of Jesus Christ, the Head and Shepherd of the Church. With a rich history and tradition of priestly formation, the National Seminary continues to nurture well-rounded individuals—spiritually, intellectually, humanly, and pastorally—equipping them to respond faithfully and generously to the call of the Gospel.
To be the School of Gospel where persons aspiring to the ministerial priesthood are transformed to be living images of Jesus Christ, Head and Shepherd of the Church.
To form missionary priests for the third millennium, whose lives are configured to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, rooted in His Word and the teachings of the Catholic Church, committed for the salvation of the People of God and humanity.
For generations, our Seminary has stood as a beacon of priestly formation, entrusted with the sacred mission of preparing men to become shepherds after the Heart of Christ. Here, the values of prayer, study, fraternity, and pastoral charity come together, forming priests who will not only serve the Church but also bear witness to Christ in today’s world. The journey of formation is not merely academic, but a holistic transformation of mind, heart, and spirit—enabling seminarians to grow into authentic disciples and dedicated servants of the Gospel. Guided by the rich traditions of the Church and attentive to the needs of the world today, we strive to form priests who embody wisdom, compassion, and missionary zeal in the service of God’s people.
In 1890, Monsignor Ladislaus Zaleski, the Apostolic Delegate to the East Indies, chose Ampitiya, a hamlet neighbouring the vicinity of Kandy, a historical city in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, for the establishment of a Papal Seminary for India, Burma, and Ceylon, as instructed by Pope Leo XIII. The lush green hilly land chosen for the purpose is at an elevation of 2000 feet, overlooking a panorama of extraordinary scenic beauty facing the Knuckles Mountain Range to the north east and the Mahaweli River to the east.
The task of the establishment of the Seminary was assigned to the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Fathers). In 1893, under the leadership of Fr. Sylvain Grosjean SJ, the Papal Seminary was inaugurated, creating a nurturing environment for selected students from India and Ceylon to undergo priestly formation and become future ecclesiastical leaders.
In 1926, the Kandy Papal Seminary was granted the authority to confer degrees in Philosophy and Theology. During its 62 years of existence until 1955, 700 students were ordained as priests, with 51 becoming Bishops and 3 achieving the rank of Cardinalship. In 1954, the Papal Seminary in Ampitiya was shifted to Pune in India, making way for the establishment of the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka. The Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI Fathers) took over the responsibility of priestly formation, and the inaugural academic year in 1955 saw 66 diocesan seminarians and 44 Oblates and Sylvestro-Benedictine members attending classes at the new seminary.
From 1955 to 1964, Fr. Fredrick Sackett OMI, an American from Texas, served as the first Rector of the National Seminary and oversaw its growth and progress. He mapped out every aspect of seminary formation, and during his tenure, the facility, including 80 student quarters, lecture halls, and an auditorium that would eventually bear his name, was built. From 1964 to 1972, under the leadership of Fr. Dalston Forbes OMI, the second Rector of the National Seminary, significant changes were made in response to the decisions of the Second Vatican Council. These changes included conducting liturgy in local languages, emphasizing cultural and ecumenical adaptations, and simplifying the attire of seminarians.
In 1968, the National Seminary’s Department of Theology was affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, allowing it to award the Baccalaureate in Theology. In 1972, the administration of the seminary shifted to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, with Fr. James Cooke OMI becoming the third Rector, followed by Fr. Harold Panditharatne as the fourth Rector in 1974. He was recognized for his efforts to secure personnel from the diocesan clergy, and he got the Department of Philosophy affiliated to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, allowing the National Seminary to award the Baccalaureate in Philosophy degree.
Fr. Joe de Mel (1981-1991), Fr. Emmanuel Fernando (1991-1998), Fr. Marius Peiris (1998-2001), Fr. Valence Mendis (2001-2004), Fr. Anthony Jayakody (2004-2011), Fr Elmo Dias (2011-2017) and Fr Expeditus Jayakody (2017-2023) are the subsequent Rectors who guided the destinies of this premier House of Formation, ensuring a solid formation programme with timely changes to form and mold young Seminarians to be the living images of Jesus Christ as future Shepherds of the local Christian Communities.
The National Seminary has a rich history marked by unwavering dedication, transformation, and commitment to priestly formation. From its origins as the Papal Seminary to its current status as the National Seminary of Our Lady of Lanka, it has been a centre of priestly formation, spirituality, theological and philosophical research, with a community characterized by unity in diversity. Today, it stands as a beacon of hope for the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, ensuring holy priests for her future mission, and leaving a lasting legacy of faithfulness to the missionary command of the Lord: “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
The governing authority over the Seminary is vested in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka (CBCSL). The CBCSL exercises its powers through the Catholic National Commission for Seminaries, Clergy, Religious & Secular Institutes.
The following are the members of the commission:
Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Vice-Chairman
The Rector is directly responsible for the administration of the Seminary in close collaboration with the team of Formators.
Rector
Director – National Seminary Philosophate
Vice-Rector
Bursar
Head - Department of Theology
Head - Department of Philosophy
To form missionary priests for the third millennium, whose lives are configured to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, rooted in His Word and the teachings of the Catholic Church, committed for the salvation of the People of God and humanity.