The town of Mamoida came to a standstill. On Friday afternoon, many gathered at the Church of the Blessed Virgin of the Assumption to pay their last respects to Lorenzo Sale . That cheerful and well-liked young man, who died at just 18 years old last Wednesday in a terrible crash on the outskirts of town involving his enduro motorcycle and a pickup truck full of crates of grapes.
"Let us not take life too lightly, it is the greatest gift we have," repeated parish priest Salvatore Orunesu in his touching homily.
The priest, originally from Bitti, addressed the young people present: Lorenzo's friends, and those young people who had come from neighboring towns to show their support to a family and community overwhelmed by grief.
"Life is sacred," Salvatore Orunesu continued. "This is a time of grief but also of reflection. I am speaking to you, young people. Guard the most precious gift you have . Be respectful, pray. Come to church. It must not happen that that means of entertainment, that motorbike that is also used to go to work, has become an instrument of death."
The parish priest then addressed the victim's family: "You are not alone. Our Father has no children to abandon."