Father Ernest 
Bonvini RIP
Ernest Angelo Severino Bonvini was born on 6th March 1936 to Italian parents in Waterloo and was baptised in St George’s Cathedral. He attended St Patrick’s Primary School, Waterloo and the Salesian College, Battersea, before serving his national military service in the army from 1954 to 1956. In his early years he developed a keen commitment to the Young Christian Workers, which continued throughout his life. As a mature student he commenced studies for the priesthood at Campion House, Osterley, and transferred to the Beda College, Rome, in 1967. He was ordained to the priesthood at St Paul’s Outside the Walls in 1971, at the age of 35 years.
Fr Ernie’s first appointment as assistant priest was at St John’s, Gravesend, where he remained for eight years. He then moved to St Elphege, Wallington, in 1979 and from there to Holy Innocents, Orpington, in 1982. His first appointment as parish priest was to St Simon Stock, Walderslade, in 1986. From Walderslade he was transferred as parish priest of St Boniface, Tooting, in November 1992. Although formally retiring in May of this year, he remained in the parish pending the arrival of his successor.
In addition to his parish responsibilities Fr Ernie was appointed Judge of the First Instance of the Southwark Metropolitan Tribunal in 1985, and in the same year he was appointed as a member of the first Ministry to Priests programme team. Fr Ernie served the Balham Deanery as Dean for ten consecutive years, from 1997 to 2007.
Fr Ernie was without doubt one of the ‘characters’ of the Diocese. Although born and bred a Londoner, his extrovert character was very much derived from his Italian roots. As a young man his parents returned to live in Italy, and Fr Ernie retained a great love for the language and culture of that country, himself being a fluent Italian speaker and spending much of his holiday time there.
As a priest, Fr Ernie was deeply committed to the pastoral care of his people and was particularly noted for visiting his parishioners. His vision of the Church was very much rooted in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and he desired to ‘walk alongside’ the people in his care. Spending nineteen years of his priesthood in Tooting, with its large and diverse population and with responsibility for St George’s Hospital, he set a firm example of spiritual leadership for his assistants and for hospital chaplaincy.
In 2007 Fr Ernie had a heart bypass and asked to step down from his responsibilities as Dean of Balham. Although in latter years his health was less strong, he continued to serve the parish faithfully. One of his treasured possessions was a photograph of the interior of the old St George’s Cathedral which was displayed in his dining room at St Boniface. He had a particular pride that he had been baptised in the old cathedral, which he remembered as a child.
Fr Ernie died on the morning of Friday 22nd July, aged 75 years, in the forty-first year of his priesthood.
May he rest in peace.