The Dharmaprabhasvara Salutation 2025 was held on December 15 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, honouring 40 artists from across the country for their outstanding contributions to the Church and society.
The event was organized by the Department of Christian Religious Affairs, in collaboration with the National Catholic Communication Commission.
The programme was coordinated by Mrs. Chathuri Pinto, Director of the Department of Christian Religious Affairs, and Rev. Fr. Jude Chrishantha, Director of the National Catholic Communication Commission.
The ceremony was graced by the Bishop of Ratnapura, Rt. Rev. Dr. Anton Wyman Croos, who attended as the Chief Guest.
During the event, artists representing various fields at both national and diocesan levels were selected and honoured in recognition of their dedicated service and creative contributions.
From the Diocese of Jaffna, awards were presented to Mr. Andrew Julius Nayagam of Our Lady of Refuge Church, Jaffna, and Mr. Michael Alex of Puloppalai Parish for Drama, and Mr. Rayappu Thiruthuvarajar of Sakkotai Parish for Literature.
From the Diocese of Mannar, awardees included Mrs. Peppy Victor Lempard of St. Anne’s Parish, Vankalai, for Writing; Mr. Thuram of Our Lady of Victory Parish, Pesalai, for Drama; Mr. Jeromy Mark of St. Anne’s Parish, Vankalai, for Sculpture and Carving; and Mr. Lawrence Consalves Coonje of Our Lady of Victory Parish, Pesalai, for Media.
From the Diocese of Trincomalee, Mr. Benjamin received the award for Photography.
From the Diocese of Batticaloa, Mr. Michael Colin of Our Lady of Holy Rosary Parish was honoured for Christian Literature, while Mr. Arulanandan Gabriel Kendian received the award for Writing.
Initiated in 2018, the Dharmaprabhasvara Awards were presented for the fifth time this year, continuing their mission of recognizing and celebrating artists serving at parish and diocesan levels, and highlighting the vital role of creative expression in the life of the Church and society.
