A life less ordinary

 

​​By Lizzie Williams

​​

On 8 July 2001, Anton Fernandopulle was ordained a priest in Jamaica. Twenty-five years later, Fr Anton celebrated his silver jubilee with his parish in Huyton – the cue to look back with the Pic on the long road travelled since his boyhood in Sri Lanka. 

As Fr Anton explains: “I was born into a Catholic family. It’s a Buddhist country, so we were a minority. My parents were practising but not strict – we prayed the rosary at home, and I often fell asleep during it! As the fifth of six children, I usually got away with it.” His vocation began at a Catholic school run by the Marist brothers, with his family connections proving a factor too. “My aunt was a former nun and there are several priests and religious among my parents’ relatives. On family holidays or pilgrimages, we often invited priests along, so faith was always a part of our lives.” 

At 16, he entered a seminary and took inspiration there from a visiting Oblate (OMI) priest from Bangladesh and his tales of missionary ministry. “He was full of energy, zeal and a spirit of adventure - he reminded me of Tarzan! His witness encouraged me to persevere in my vocation, remain in the seminary and eventually join the Oblates, where I spent several enriching years in formation.” 

Fr Anton left the Oblates after completing his studies in Philosophy and began working as a hotel receptionist in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital. “Working both day and night shifts helped me develop resilience and a strong work ethic,” he recalls. “I still remember my manager’s constant reminder that ‘the customer is always right’ – a principle that taught me the importance of listening, patience and service.” 

After time in Switzerland, he moved to Kingston, Jamaica, and joined the Jamaican diocesan seminary affiliated with the University of the West Indies to continue his theological studies. After a year, the seminary closed, and he and the other Jamaican seminarians were sent to St John Vianney Regional Seminary in Trinidad and Tobago. Having completed his studies in Trinidad, he returned to Jamaica and began parish work, including at an inner-city parish in Kingston, near the childhood home of Bob Marley in Trench Town. “It was a tough area with high levels of violence, but parish life was vibrant. Mass could last two hours and, in typical laid-back Jamaican style, never started on time!” 

In preparation for his diaconate ordination, he moved to rural Jamaica and lived with a young Jesuit priest, Fr Martin Royackers SJ, who had a deep commitment to the poor. “He was passionate about empowering lay leadership and helping rural farmers secure better prices for their crops by transporting them to Kingston through the Jesuit-run co-operative. He was a straight talker and was not afraid to challenge anyone, including the clergy. I learnt so much from him and he played a vital part in my journey to the priesthood. I’m not wrong in saying he laid the foundation for my priestly ministry.” 

But just 18 days before his ordination, tragedy struck. “I left Martin at church one evening and went home to cook for us both. We usually walked back together, but not that day. I heard a gunshot, but that wasn’t unusual in the area. When I went to bed, he hadn’t returned home so I left his meal on the table. The next morning, his food was untouched. I went to the church and found that he’d been shot dead at the door.” Despite this, his ordination went ahead on 8 July 2001 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston.

Afterwards, for his own safety, he was moved from that parish and served at four rural churches across a large area of Jamaica, where he enjoyed bringing the parishes together. He remains grateful for the generosity of the Food For The Poor organisation, which enabled him to assist many struggling families. However, the trauma of witnessing the aftermath of Fr Martin’s murder took a significant toll. Exactly one year later, Fr Anton suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), often referred to as a minor stroke. Following this, he travelled to the United States, where he met what he describes as his “guardian angels”. While taking part in a transformational personal development programme in Florida, he met the Guido family – Nancy, Ron and their son Rob. “They helped me find therapists, counsellors, and medical support. Without them, I wouldn’t be here today.” 

The team caring for Fr Anton urged his bishop to move him from Jamaica and his mother strongly encouraged him to move to the UK, as he already had siblings living there who could provide support. He applied to several dioceses in England and was invited to Liverpool by Bishop Vincent Malone. “I booked a one-way ticket – and the rest is history.” 

Since arriving in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, Fr Anton has served in Crosby, St Anthony’s, Scotland Road, and St John’s, Kirkdale, before becoming parish priest of St Agnes and St Aidan, Huyton, where he has now served for over 20 years. Speaking about his parish, Fr Anton said: “It’s very synodal and all-embracing in its approach to ministry. It’s bold, creative, and firmly committed to teamwork. I’m blessed with a dynamic parish team that includes our very talented pastoral assistant, Christine Ball. We have more than 80 volunteers who help make this parish such a special place. 

“I’m passionate about fostering lay leadership and it’s a privilege to support and encourage people as they share their gifts in service of the Church. In this parish, there are many opportunities for parishioners to become involved and make a real difference.” 

His passion for mission has also had a profound impact on parish life. “Many years ago, on World Mission Sunday, I invited parishioners to consider overseas mission work. That led to the birth of our parish mission [WCMAD – We Can Make A Difference] to Suriname in South America. 
“We travelled into the Amazon rainforest to support several remote communities served by a dedicated Dutch priest. Those mission trips transformed the people who took part. They opened their eyes to the wider world, deepened their faith and, on their return, many became the backbone of parish life.” 

The parish later established a mission to Romania, where volunteers continue to travel each summer. Today, this parish is widely recognised for its commitment to inclusivity, outreach and social justice. The parish is home to SHARe Knowsley, a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers, many members of CARJ, and the archdiocese’s only support group for LGBT+ Catholics.

 
To mark his Silver Jubilee of priesthood, the parish celebrated with a special Mass followed by a parish celebration attended by Fr Adrian McNamara, a priest from the Archdiocese of Birmingham, who had been present at his ordination in Jamaica. The Guido family and many others from different parts of the world joined the Mass virtually, meanwhile, ensuring “especially meaningful and memorable occasion” for Fr Anton.