“After having loved them, he loved them till the end”

On Saturday 17th February, “the Father has called Father Silvano Cola to himself”. He died suddenly of cardiac arrest at the priests’ Centre in Grottaferrata (Rome), where he lived with other priests.

He was responsible of the diocesan-priest branch which started from the 1950’s in the newly born Focolare Movement. Father Silvano was among the first priests, who in contact with the Focolare, found a new impulse in their priestly ministry, in that unity that springs forth from the reciprocity of evangelical love, at the very heart of the Focolare spirituality.

In communicating the news of Father Silvano’s death, Chiara Lubich highlighted in a particular way the “untiring generosity” with which he carried out his work at the service of the priests: “After having loved them, he loved them till the end”.

In recent years, Father Cola shared with one of the first focolarinas, Valeria Ronchetti, the responsibility of the secretariat instituted by the foundress of the Focolare Movement to promote communion among ecclesial movements and new communities, in response to Pope John Paul II’s wish, after the great meeting in St. Peter’s square on the eve of Pentecost 1998.

Father Silvano was born in Camerino (Macerata – Italy) on 22 January 1928 and he was ordained priest in Turin on 27 June, 1950. In 1964, with the consent of his archbishop, he moved to Focolare Movement’s centre, at Rocca di Papa (Rome). In 1990, he took part in the synod of bishops in priestly formation. He was a member of the movement’s general council.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday at the Mariapolis Centre of Castelgandolfo (Rome) – St. John Baptist de la Salle Street.