Editing Ivan Corea

{{short description|Sri Lankan Anglican priest}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| background     = #FFA500
| name           = Ivan Corea
| image          = Canonivancorea.jpg
| religion       = [[Christianity]], [[Anglican]] [[Church of Ceylon]]
| alias          =
| location       = [[Sri Lanka]]
| Title          = Rural Dean of [[Colombo]], Examining Chaplain to the [[Bishop of Colombo]]
| Period         = 1950s-1960s
| Predecessor    =
| Successor      =
| ordination     = 1926
| post           = Vicar of [[St. Luke's Church Borella]] (1929-1954), Vicar St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya (1954-1961)
| previous_post  = Curate, St. Phillip's Church, Kurana, Katunayake
| present_post   =
| birth_date     = 1902
| birth_place    = Chilaw, [[British Ceylon|Ceylon]]
| death_date     = 1968
| death_place    = Madampe, [[Dominion of Ceylon|Ceylon]]
}}

'''Hector Vernon Ivan Seneviratne Corea''' ([[Sinhala language|Sinhala]]: හෙක්ටර් වර්නන් අයිවන් සෙනෙවිරත්න කොරයා) was a priest of the [[Church of Ceylon]].

==Early life==
[[File:Royal College Colombo main building.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The Ivan Corea attended the [[Royal College, Colombo]].]]
[[File:SL Colombo asv2020-01 img30 StLuke Church.jpg|thumb|200px|left|St. Luke's Church, Borella, Colombo, Sri Lanka, a typical Protestant, Anglican Church belonging to the Church of Ceylon – designed entirely by Corea]]
[[File:Ivanouidacoreastlukes5.jpeg|thumb|200px|left|The plaque near the altar at St. Luke's Church remembering the work of Ivan Corea, the longest-serving vicar of the church and his wife Ouida Corea.]]
Ivan Corea was born in [[Chilaw]], [[Ceylon]], to [[James Alfred Ernest Corea]] and Letitia Grace Alice Seneviratne. His uncles were the freedom fighters [[Charles Edgar Corea]] and [[Victor Corea]], who founded the Chilaw Association and the Ceylon National Congress. Ivan Corea was a direct descendant of King [[Dominicus Corea]], (also known as Edirille Rala).<ref name="Edirille Rala">{{cite web|title=The Mahavama, the recorded chronicles of Sri Lankan history recalls the meeting between Commander Veediya Bandara of the Kandyan kingdom and King Dominicus Corea (Edirille Rala) reference in the Sunday Times, Sri Lanka|url=http://sundaytimes.lk/110320/FunDay/fut_01.html|accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref> He was crowned King of [[Kotte]] and [[Sitawaka]] by Vimala Dharma Suriya, [[King of Kandy]], in 1596.<ref name="King">{{cite web |title=Reference to Edirille Rala becoming King of Kotte and King of Sitawaka|url=http://konnapubandara.blogspot.com/2009/03/great-sinhalese-king-of-kandy-wimala.html|accessdate=2011-07-27}}</ref> [[Mahatma Gandhi]] met James Corea when he was hosted by the Corea family in Chilaw, on his first and only visit to Ceylon in 1927.<ref name="Mahatma Gandhi">{{cite web|title=Gandhi at Sigiriya - article in the Daily News, Sri Lanka|url=http://chilaw-and-gandhi.tripod.com/id3.html|accessdate=2011-07-25|archive-date=13 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813130744/http://chilaw-and-gandhi.tripod.com/id3.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The young Corea was educated at [[Royal College Colombo]]. He joined the clergy of the Anglican [[Church of Ceylon]] in 1926. An early posting was at St. Phillip's Church in Kurana, [[Katunayake]], followed by St Luke’s in Borella.  Having spent several years in the priesthood, Corea was appointed Chaplain to the Bishop of Colombo. He was also made a Canon of the Cathedral Church of Christ in his sacerdotal silver jubilee. In the 1960s, Corea was appointed Rural Dean of [[Colombo]].

==St. Luke's Church Borella==
{{Main|St. Luke's Church Borella}}
Corea was Vicar of [[St. Luke's Church Borella]] for 25 years (1929 - 1954). Corea and his wife Ouida Corea played a key role in re-building St. Luke's. The edifice was designed by Corea, including the designs on each pillar, the octagonal tower of the sanctuary, the doors and windows, and all decorative motifs within the church. The foundation stone for the extension was laid on 17 October 1938 by the Commissary of the [[Bishop of Colombo]], F. L. Beven.

==The Easter Sunday Raid==
{{Main|Easter Sunday Raid}}
St. Luke's Church was packed on [[Easter Sunday]] morning (5 April) 1942 when [[Admiral Chuichi Nagumo]] and the [[Japanese Imperial Navy]] attacked the city of [[Colombo]], [[Ceylon]], during [[World War II]].  Among the congregation attending the Easter Sunday service were [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Demographics of Sri Lanka|Ceylonese]] military personnel. 

The attack commenced around 7.30 a.m.; Corea was preaching at the time, when according to the parishioners of St. Luke's, the [[RAF]] [[Hawker Hurricanes]] swooped over the church to engage the [[Japan]]ese [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero|Zero]] fighters in [[dogfight]]s above the skies of Borella.<ref>[http://vernoncorea.wordpress.com/2006/08/28/vernon-coreas-ceylon/ Vernon Corea's Ceylon – reference to Japanese raid over St. Luke's Church Borella]</ref> The zero fighters and bombers were led by Captain [[Mitsuo Fuchida]], who also led the attack on [[Pearl Harbor]].

[[File:Rodiya People.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ivan Corea and his wife Ouida Corea, reached out to the poorest sections of society in Sri Lanka - including the Rodiya Community. He housed the Rodi on church property in [[Borella]], Colombo.]]
[[File:St.paul'schurchmilagiriya.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|Corea built Lucien Jansz Memorial at [[St. Paul's Church (Milagiriya)|St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya]].]]

==St. Paul's Church in Milagiriya==
{{Main|St. Paul's Church (Milagiriya)}}
Following the death of his wife, Ouida, Corea left St. Luke's Church in 1954 and was appointed Vicar of [[St. Paul's Church (Milagiriya)|St. Paul's Church]] in [[Milagiriya]], one of the oldest churches in Ceylon. The church was first built by the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] in the 15th Century as a Roman Catholic church. The British built a new church in 1848 and called it St. Paul's.<ref name="St. Paul's">{{cite web|title=St. Paul's Milagiriya celebrates 150th anniversary|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2003/02/23/fea18.html|access-date=2009-07-26|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605232422/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2003/02/23/fea18.html|archive-date=5 June 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He built the Lucien Jansz Memorial at St. Paul's Church Milagiriya as well as re-building St. Peter's Church in Pamankada.<ref name="Memorial">{{cite web|title=A Beloved Priest|url=http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/id2.html|accessdate=2009-07-27|archive-date=13 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813034402/http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/id2.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Diocese of Colombo==
In 1941 the bishop of Colombo appointed a Historical Select Committee to compile a history of the diocese, to celebrate the centennial of the foundation of the diocese. The bishop co-opted Corea to the committee and served as secretary.[7] Corea is also mentioned in the document as "one of four men who not only distinguished themselves in  [[Theology]], but also had the privilege of assisting their teacher in later years as Lecturers in the [[Divinity]] School. H.V.Ivan S.Corea has been honored by the bishop by being called to the office and dignity of an Examining [[Chaplain]]  to the Lord Bishop of Colombo."<ref>F. Lorenz Beven, 'Church Institutions,' page 306 ''A History of the Diocese of Colombo'', (Colombo Diocese, 1946)</ref> Corea also served on the Diocesan Council of the Centenary Year in 1945. He also contributed to the ''[[Church Times]]'' newspaper in the [[United Kingdom]].

Corea died in Madampe in 1968. Among those who paid their respects at his funeral in [[Maha Nuge Gardens]], [[Colombo]], were the [[Governor-General]] of Ceylon [[William Gopallawa]], the [[Prime Minister]] of Ceylon [[Dudley Senanayake]] and the [[Finance Minister]]  [[Junius Richard Jayewardene]].<ref name="Dudley Senanayake">{{cite web|title=Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake at Canon Corea's Funeral in Maha Nuge Gardens|url=http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/id2.html|accessdate=2008-10-01|archive-date=13 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813034402/http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/id2.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The funeral service was led by [[Harold De Soyza]], the first-ever Sri Lankan [[Anglican]] bishop of Colombo. The Ceylon Daily News noted at the time, "The Rt. Reverend Harold De Soysa, Bishop of Colombo paid tribute to the late Canon Corea referring to his ministry of loving service and made particular reference to his work on the history of the Diocese of Colombo."<ref name="Harold de Soyza">{{cite web|title=Reference to the Ceylon Daily News of 1968 writing about Bishop Harold de Soyza's tribute to Reverend Canon Ivan Corea|url=http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/id2.html|accessdate=2011-08-01|archive-date=13 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813034402/http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/id2.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time of his death, Corea was editing a revised version of ''A History of the Church of Ceylon''.

==''Piyaneni''==
Corea was immortalized in a song in the 1970s when the Sri Lankan singer [[Clarence Wijewardena]] composed '[[Piyaneni]]' (Father) in memory of Corea.<ref name="Piyaneni">{{cite web|title=Reference to Piyaneni in the article on Clarence Wijewardena, 'Lanka's Pop Pioneer' in the Daily News, Sri Lanka |url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/08/05/art03.asp |accessdate=2009-08-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803195524/http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/08/05/art03.asp |archivedate= 3 August 2010 }}</ref> ''Piyaneni'' was sung by Wijewardena's [[music]]  partner [[Annesley Malewana]] and recorded at Auggie Ranaweera's studio in [[Bambalapitiya]], in Colombo.<ref name="Auggie Ranaweera">{{cite web |title=Auggie Ranaweera at the famous "Bamba Studio" in Colombo, Sri Lanka|url=http://www.diliupgabadamudalige.com/index.php?action=gallery_detail&id=56|accessdate=2009-08-19}}</ref> 

==Family==
Corea’s eldest son is [[Vernon Corea]], a Sri Lankan broadcaster. His younger son was [[Ernest Corea]], who was Sri Lanka's [[Ambassador]] to the [[United States]], Cuba and Mexico.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com Tribute Website to H. V. Ivan S. Corea of St. Luke's Church Borella] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709222236/http://canon-corea-tribute.tripod.com/ |date=9 July 2011 }}
* [http://ivan_corea.tripod.com Information on Ivan Corea on Vernon Corea The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon]
* [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/rodiya.html The Story of the Rodi]
* [http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=2576 St. Luke's Church Borella by Kumudu Amarasingham]
* [http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/province.cfm?ID=Y1 The Church of Ceylon (Anglican Communion)]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Corea, Ivan Seneviratne}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Anglicans]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Christian clergy]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan Anglican priests]]
[[Category:Anglican chaplains]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan chaplains]]
[[Category:Alumni of Royal College, Colombo]]
[[Category:Sinhalese people]]
[[Category:Corea family|Ivan]]