The Grace Award for Best contribution in Art and Design will be given annually for individuals in and around Holy Immanuel Parish, Moratuwa, starting this year. This award will be made in memory of late Aleric and Iromie Fernando’s family members, in appreciation of the Christian values inculcated in them and extended family, family members said.

The “Grace Awards’ will be launched at the Susila de Silva Abinandana Program organized by the Senior Guild of the Holy Emmanuel Church, Moratuwa. 

The Abinandna program initiated to felicitate and honour a unique person of the Holy Emmanuel Church parish, Susila de Silva, will be held on Feb 9 2019 Saturday, with the Archbishop of Colombo Rt Rev. Dhiloraj R. Canagasabey Lord Bishop of Colombo, gracing the occasion. 

The objective of the award is to recognize potential talent in and around the Holy Emmanuel parish, with the intention of giving a helping hand and career guidance to those who excel in many vocations in Art and Design among the parishioners, and those who have a reputation in the past for such pursuits. 

‘This award is made with the primary intention of encouraging individual talent, thereby contributing to the society and country at large,’ the late Mr. Aleric Fernando’s son Mr. Indrajith Fernando said.

Susila’s unequalled, unparalleled talents in the field of Arts have been known very well in the parish, and the Moratuwa Christian community. St. Anthony's Church Kadalana, St. Michael’s Church, Koralawella, St. Mathias' Church Laxapathiya and St. Peter’s Church Koralawella and many others have teamed up with Holy Emmanuel Church to make the program a grand success. The programme will be held in the Church Parish Hall, from 9.00 am to 8.00pm.

Parishioners and Fernando family members hope the Grace award will motivate a significant number of parishioners similar to Mr. Aleric Fernando, known as ‘Alecric Aiya” in Moratuwa. Hailing from a simple ordinary family of seven siblings in a less privileged community, he was struck by disaster during the World War 2, and also the tragedy of losing both parents at the age of 13, but was a great success in life, parishioners said.

The present Holy Emmanuel Church was built under the patronage of Governor Sir Robert Brownrigg, who contributed his share towards the erection of the Church. This Church was popularly known as the "Brownrigg Palliya" and was large enough to hold 800 to 1000 people. A significant feature of the Anglican Church in Moratuwa was that from the very inception, Divine Services and all other Church activities were conducted in Sinhala.