+Br. Bernard Villasanta, SDB

We got the unfortunate news that Br. Berns Villasanta, SDB passed away this morning, he was 48 years old.

Over the table, breakfast time, I listened to the pseudo-eulogy exchanged by Fr. Godo and Fr. Felix about Br. Berns. I learned that Fr. Felix was the rector of Br. Berns when he was an aspirant and he had so vivid memories of him.

There was a time when they were watching a movie and a kissing scene was shown, Br. Berns, then an aspirant, shouted “I don’t like to see that scene!” Fr. Godo quickly interjected that “St. Dominic Savio has always been his idol.”

Incidentally, today is Savio’s birthday.

Fr. Nioret, my venerable novice master, wrote in the obituary he sent through e-mail that “Br. Berns is certainly now in heaven interceding for us. He had always been an example of zeal in the apostolate even in his condition, an example of joyous fidelity in tribulation.”

Image courtesy of Fr. Nioret

Article 54 of the SDB Constitutions reads

“...When the hour comes for a Salesian to bring his consecrated life to its highest fulfillments, his brothers help him to enter fully into Christ's paschal mystery. Death for a Salesian is made bright by the hope of entering into the joy of the Lord.”

“The memory of departed confreres unites us, ‘in a love that will not pass away,' those who are still pilgrims with those who are already resting in Christ.”