A wave of grief, tears, and silence accompanied the coffin of Nicola Atzori this afternoon in the cemetery, the twenty-year-old who tragically died during the night between Saturday and Sunday near Nughedu Santa Vittoria , in a car accident that ended a young life and left an unfillable void. Hundreds of people mourned him, in addition to his family, but especially the three friends who were traveling with him that night . Wounded in body, but even more so in soul, they gathered around the coffin of their friend who is no longer with us.
During the Eucharistic celebration, Father Paolo Contini delivered a homily that touched everyone's hearts. Several of his remarks were deeply moving and deeply thought-provoking. The first, recounted with emotion, concerns his visit to the home of Mattia, the young man who was driving the car. "As a priest, but also as a man," he said, "I have received a testimony that will not easily be forgotten." In that home, despite their grief, Nicola's parents—father Augusto, mother Greca, and sister Marika—were also present, coming to embrace, console, and support Mattia in his despair. A gesture of love that left a profound impression.
Then, in a firm, gentle voice, he read a letter that Nicola, if he could, would have liked to write for this farewell. A message of gratitude and thanks to his parents, his sister, his relatives, his friends, and all those who loved him. "A young man I knew through his work as a waiter," Father Paolo emphasized, "kind in his manner, respectful, and honest. His smile is the gift he leaves us as a legacy and one we must always remember."
And after blessing the body, the parish priest issued a stern warning to those who, hidden behind a keyboard, write and judge without knowing. "None of the occupants had been drinking or using drugs. It was an accident," the parish priest almost shouted, defending the truth and the dignity of all the young people involved. In the cemetery, one of the most touching parts of the funeral rite took place, with many young people embracing each other and the Ghilarza Basketball jersey placed on the coffin, as if in a final embrace.
Nicola will rest a few meters from Gabriele Pinna's grave and a hundred meters from Riccardo Licheri's. Three young lives taken too soon, but who, through their grief, shared so much love.