Srilanka, Oct. 3 -- It was on October 7, 1976, that our Late Cardinal Thomas Cooray ordained six deacons as priests at St. Lucia's Cathedral, Kotahena in a solemn ceremony. Rev. Fr. Victor Silva was one of them. Historically this event became Cardinal Cooray's last ordination ceremony.

In the past era, Catholic choirs invariably sang the Latin chorus to mark priestly ordination anniversaries thus: "TU ES SACERDOS IN AETERNUM" meaning "you are a priest forever".

Even as we celebrate Fr. Victor Silva's golden jubilee of priesthood, including five of his priestly companions, we may be compelled to pose the question -- what is fifty years compared to a noble priestly title that stretches into an ageless eternity. Yet, for us humans and es...