A true priest of the people
Fr. Ronald de Silva was called to his eternal rest on May 17. His body lay at St. Mary’s Church Mattakkuliya and was taken to Kanatte to be buried at the family vault. Many dignitaries of the Catholic Church and parishioners came in their numbers to show their gratitude and appreciation to their pastor who had served them spontaneously in their spiritual needs and when necessary their material necessities.
At Kanatte, where his body was laid to rest, were present Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo and Dr. Anton Ranjith, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo.
Young Ronald de Silva was educated at St. Joseph’s College Maradana, travelling to school from his ancestral home at 50, Dickman’s Road, Bambalapitiya. He was my classmate. The Rector at the time was Rev. Fr. Peter Pillai who had a distinguished career at Cambridge, a simple man with a deep faith in God. It was under his influence and the influence of his parents that Fr. Ronald decided to join the seminary. That was in 1956. After his philosophical and theological studies he was ordained as a priest on December 21, 1964 at St. Lucia’ s
Cathedral by the late
Thomas Cardinal Benjamin Cooray, with his cousin Rev.
Fr. Joe de Mel in attendance with Fr. Ronald at his first Eucharistic celebration.
Fr. Ronald’s first appointment was as Assistant Parish Priest, Dehiwela. In his sermons he requested the help of the parishioners in helping the marginalised. He followed it up with visits to the parishioners requesting their help. They responded, got themselves organised into groups and helped the needy of the parish.
Fr. Ronald served as the first parish priest of St. Anthony’s Church Mount Lavinia from 1969 – 1976. During his period significant structural alterations were made to the church building and pews provided for all the worshippers. He brought unity among the parishioners through parish committees and cottage meetings. When he was transferred he left by public transport carrying with him a small suitcase with his personal belongings.
Fr. Ronald was appointed as parish priest St. Mary’s Church Mattakkuliya and served in that capacity from 1976 – 1987. He served the people diligently and enlisted the support of the wealthy to support the needy. It was his practice not to handle finances but to get the parishioners to elect committees to handle financial matters. The funds collected were well spent.
Fr. Ronald served as parish priest of St. Andrew’s Church, Colombo 15 from 1987 – 1989 where he got the opportunity of being among the poorest of the poor, visiting their homes and seeing to their spiritual and material needs.
Relinquishing his duties as Parish Priest St. Andrew’s Church he moved to Mithuru Sewana, 763/1 Aluth Mawatha Road, Mattakkuliya. A small house and may be 80 perches of land – the accommodation was one room which he occupied, a small dining room and kitchen. The outer hall was converted to a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph Vaz. He celebrated mass on weekdays and on Sundays. On Friday mornings he heard confessions at St. Anthony’s Church Kochchikade and in the evenings he met anyone who came to him for spiritual or material help. He was pastor and confessor to the Carmelite Convent, Mattakkuliya
The minority communities who lived in Mattakuliya felt secure with Fr. Ronald. In fact he went beyond their spiritual needs and helped them when they had difficulties with the Municipal authorities, Electricity Board and school admissions.
A note on the life and work of the late Fr. Ronal would not be complete without a note on his parents. Fr. Ronald’s father Dr. C.J.C. de Silva was one of the leading social reformers of the pre-Independence era. He was chairman of the Ceylon Labour Party, Co-Founder of the Social Justice Movement along with Fr. Peter Pillai. He was also General Secretary of the Ceylon Catholic Union and President of the Colombo Catholic Diocesan Union. His mother affectionately called Bernie, was the President of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of her parish Bambalapitiya in the service of the poorest of poor and a Vice President of the Voluntary Intercommunity Service at Thimbirigasyaya.
Fr. Ronal had two sisters – Therese and Cynthia and three brothers, Claude, Dr Lucian and Michael.