When Father (Fr) Anton Perera reflects on his path to priesthood, he describes it as a story of perseverance and providence.

It is a path shaped by family, faith and an unshakable belief that “if the Lord closes one door, He will open another ten.”

Born in Negombo, Sri Lanka, and raised in the small coastal town of Wennappuwa, Fr Anton grew up the youngest of five children in a devout Catholic family.

“Our life centred around prayer,” Fr Anton said.

“Every night before dinner we prayed the Rosary, and on Thursdays and Fridays we held Holy Hour at home.

“During Lent, families from our neighbourhood would gather for the Stations of the Cross. It was a very Catholic atmosphere where faith was simply part of everyday life.”

His childhood was also one of discipline.

Fr Anton remembers one vivid childhood lesson from his father, when a storm kept him from attending Mass.

“I was about ten years old,” he said.

“My father came home and asked why I hadn’t gone to church.

“When I said it was raining, he told me to kneel until he finished breakfast. No breakfast for me that day. From that day on, I never missed a Mass in my life.”

Fr Anton’s vocation began early.

After his First Holy Communion in 1995, his parish priest invited him to join the altar servers.

“That is where my love for the Mass really grew,” Fr Anton said.

He credits much of his inspiration to the priests of his home parish, the late Fr Francis Laus Fernando and Fr Niranjan Fernando, whose humility and compassion left a lasting mark.

“Their way of serving people with simplicity and love showed me what it meant to be a priest.”

Faith, Fr Anton says, has defined every part of his life, even before he was born.

In recent years, he learned from his mother that doctors once advised her to terminate her pregnancy with him because of medical risks.

“She refused. She kneeled and cried in front of our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, and prayed the Rosary.”

“She made a vow that if her prayers were answered, she would offer this child to Jesus.

Having been born healthy and into a faithful family full of love and support, Fr Anton reflects, “the Lord has been marvellous and wonderful. I give thanks for my life and the wonders that he has done to my life,” he said.

Despite this, his journey to the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle was not without hardship.

While in formation in Sri Lanka, he faced misunderstandings and prejudice due to language barriers.

“It was painful, but I believed the Lord would open another way,” he said.

That new path came when then-Diocesan Administrator Fr Greg Barker welcomed him to continue his discernment in Australia.

Arriving in 2022, Fr Anton quickly set about adjusting to his new home and a new culture.

“The legal processes, the paperwork, the safeguarding protocols, it was all new,” he said.

“But I settled well. Within six months, I had my driver’s licence and even started cooking Australian meals instead of my usual Sri Lankan dishes.

“The Diocese, especially Fr Greg Barker and Fr Matthew Muller, helped me so much.”

He spent 18 months at St Benedict’s Parish, Inner Newcastle, and another 18 months at MacKillop Parish, completing his Master of Theological Studies along the way.

After 16 years of formation, Fr Anton was ordained to the priesthood, on Saturday 8 November 2025, at age 41.

For him, it was a significant and spiritual milestone.

“I felt that I came out from the exile of forty years and entered the promised land.

“I have experienced suffering, and now I want to be a wounded healer, someone who brings compassion and hope to those who are broken or forgotten.”

That compassion has already found expression in his ministry.

“If people need me, I’m ready to go and render my spiritual services,” he said.

Fr Anton has a special place in his heart for the poor and needy. This group is who he hopes to bring healing and guidance to.

“It is not always easy, but Christ went to the poor and the marginalised. I try to do the same.”

As he begins priestly life, Fr Anton is eager to keep serving wherever he is needed. “Under the guidance of Bishop Michael Kennedy and my parish priest, I am ready to go wherever I am sent.

“I want to be close to the people, to listen and to share in their joys and sorrows.”

Outside ministry, he enjoys simple pleasures such as reading, watching science fiction films, visiting the beach, and playing cricket or badminton.

Reflecting on all that has brought him here, Fr Anton said, “I think faith can move mountains. I have seen that come true in my own life.”