Bishop Martinus Situmorang remembers Fr. Aldo La Ruffa
Today, Fr Aldo La Ruffa, SX who died on June 12, 2018, was buried at the Xaverien cemetery of Padang after the Requiem Mass presided over by Mgr Martinus Situmorang, OfmCap, the Bishop of Padang. The local clergy, the nuns, the staff of Yos Sudarso Hospital dan hundreds of parishioners, friends and benefactors joined the Xaverians for the funeral mass. In his sermon, Bishop Martinus Situmorang, OfmCap gave his impressions and testimony about Fr La Ruffa.
First, the bishop pointed out that La Ruffa was a hard worker. After reminding us how he called Fr. La Ruffa to become the Econom of the diocese and then assigned him as the Director of Yos Sudarso Hospital in Padang, the bishop said that he knew Fr. La Ruffa as someone who like to demolish, i.e. dismantling buildings or things that are no longer functional in order to build better ones, more functional, more meaningful and more beautiful like St Francis of Assisi Church and Yos Sudarso Hospital.
Fr La Ruffa liked to demolish and build, but not just physically. He also dared to dismantle the pride of dishonest people and build people's moral and faith.
Secondly, Fr La Ruffa was a disciplined man except perhaps when it comes to his own needs, such as food or rest. But when it was about prayer, to be in the chapel, to pray the rosary, to go to his office at Yos Sudarso Hospital, Fr La Ruffa was always on time, and very disciplined. The secret of the strength of that mighty beloved man was in his silent prayer before God.
In his testimony, the bishop said that La Ruffa truly understood and lived out what St. Augustine once said: "Love, and do what you want". Quoting a popular spiritual song, Hidup adalah Kesempatan, the bishop added that the life of Fr La Ruffa truly became a blessing: "Life is an opportunity. Life is to serve God; do not waste what God has given you. This life should be a blessing ..Oh God use my life while I'm still strong. So that when the time comes when I become powerless; my life can still be a blessing."
The bishop concluded his sermon by calling on all of us to rediscover and reflect on our personal vocations and call to work not for personal interests only but as a ministry for the building of common life, as self-sacrifice of self for the building of brotherhood.
Fr La Ruffa has played a significant role in the building of our diocese of Padang and for the coming of the kingdom of God in Indonesia. So we should be grateful, we should imitate and follow his example; and we all should be proud of Fr. La Ruffa. Let us give our whole self for service, always disciplined and ever ready to dismantle whatever is not good anymore in order to build and search common good.
May Fr. Aldo La Ruffa rest in peace and pray for us!
Fr. Valentin, SX
Photo Gallery
