Parish priest wins an `oscar' for his songs

PR. MARCE1.1 1NE JAVA' KODDY, a 55-year-old parish priest has been voted Ceylon's most outstanding film personality for I957-and that was in competition with Ceylon's movie "queen " Rukmani Devi, and film magnate Cittarnbalam Gardiner.
Readers of the " Observer," a daily newspaper, wive the priest 21,000 votes. Miss Devi got 19,000.
A teacher of English and Sinhalese at St. Peter's College in Colombo, Fr. Jaeakoddy won the prize for " songs of outstanding literary value " which he had written for the Sinhalese-language film " Rekawa," The film broke all box office records in the country.
Fr. layakoddy has written about 150 songs. all in the Sinhalese language, of which 20 have hecn recorded by Rudio Ceylon and another 20 by commercial firms.
All his songs are Catholic in tone and have been sung at Catholic functions' throughout Ceslon. His work has the blessing of Bishop Pciris of Chilaw who is noted as a Sinhalese scholar.
At the International Students' Chaplaincy, 41 Holland Park, London. Mass is being said this Sunday at 5 p.m. to commemorate the independence of Malaya. It will be followed by a social, to which the 50 Catholic Malayan students in London have been invited.