Rev. Fr. Elmo Dias My brother and best friend...

 My younger brother Fr. Elmo Dias passed away three months ago on August 14 after a few years of illness which he silently bore. He was called to rest in the Lord at the age of 67. Elmo was the eighth born in a family of ten, five boys and five girls to Reggie Dias (R.S.A. Dias) and Margret Dias of Moratuwa.  

After his initial education at St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa, he joined St. Aloysius Minor Seminary in Borella. Fr. Elmo who excelled in his education was sent to St. Joseph’s College, Colombo 10 for his Advanced Level studies. Having completed his secondary education, Elmo joined the National Seminary at Ampitiya in Kandy. In 1980, he was ordained as a priest and appointed to Pamunugama Parish as a young and dedicated missionary.  

Thereafter, he served in Tibbatugoda Parish and went to Rome for higher studies. Returning from Rome, Fr. Elmo was appointed as Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Church, Ratmalana. Later, he was appointed Secretary to the then Archbishop of Colombo, the Rt. Rev. Nicholas Marcus Fernando. He was thereafter appointed Parish Priest of St. Jude’s Shrine in Indigolla where he served for 10 years.  

It was during his tenure that the new church with modern architecture and interior design was built in Indigolla to facilitate the large number of devotees who came from outstations every Thursday and thousands of pilgrims who come for the church feast every year.  

From Indigolla, Fr. Elmo was posted to serve Sri Lankan community at Modana (dioceses) in Italy where he served expatriate Sri Lankans in cities like Modana, Bologna and Vignola for nearly five years. Fr. Elmo was popular among Sri Lankans in Italy as he did not limit his service to religious services at church but worked with Sri Lankan youth who had come from various rural parts of the country in search of greener pastures. Fr. Elmo organised youth groups and lead them in religious and social activities and conducted English classes with the aim of educating them.   

Fr. Elmo who was fluent in his Italian was invited to serve the Italian Catholic community and conduct holy masses for them as well. He was well-known for his homilies which he delivered in proficient Italian.   

Fr. Elmo came to Italy while I was working there and it was a great opportunity for both of us who were not together for a long time. An outgoing character, Fr. Elmo encouraged me to visit places of religious importance like Lourdes, Fatima and many other European countries. During my vacation, he made it a point to visit a number of places in Europe which I would never have visited if not for him. Like a guide and a teacher, he used explain in detail all important facts about places we visited.  

With the aim of becoming a good writer, Fr. Elmo followed an online diploma on journalism and news writing at London School of Journalism in 2007 and passed with honours. Not only prose but Fr. Elmo was good at writing verses. He wrote a number of hymns and I have written melodies for at least six of them which are now approved by the Liturgical Commission of Colombo Archdiocese to be used for religious service. Some of the hymns penned by Fr. Elmo are poignant expression of deep faith and love for the Lord. Below is one of the hymns written by Fr. Elmo which was sung at his funeral and a loose English translation of it.
   
සිටියොත් සමිදුනි ඔබේ හඳට ලංවේලා   
තනිකමක් නැතේ මා හට බිය ගෙන දෙනා   
රැඳවි ඉන්නට ඔබේ ආදරය සදා   
දිරි දෙනු වදනින් එලිය ලබ ලබා   
සෝදා පවේ කිලිටිය කමා වෙලා   
දෙව් පිය දරුන් ලෙසින් නිදහස් කළා   
දෙනු මැන පිවිතුරු ලස්සන ඔබේ මටා   
යන්නට පරවිලා ලොවෙහි පෙම තියා   
   
Lord if I remain closer to your heart   
There wouldn’t be loneliness that affrights me   
To be in under the wings of your love forever   
Strengthen me with your words, courage and light   
Cleanse the dark patches of my sins with your mercy   
Free me with your divine paternal love   
Let me have the beauty as pure as yours   
As a flower withers leaving love in the world   

The void created by Fr. Elmo’s demise will be long felt by me, my siblings, extended family and friends including priests, nuns and laymen in different strata of society. Fr. Elmo, as a family, we are so blessed to have a darling Malli like you in our lives. Although you are with the Lord now, we will always feel your presence with and among us.  
Your ever-loving Aiya, Raymond