He was born into a devoted Roman Catholic family to parents Stanley John Silva and Eugene Victoria Dias. He was the second child of four and the eldest of three brothers. Neither Silva’s parents nor his family observed signs of his calling when he was a child. He entered the St Aloysius Minor Seminary on May 3, 1967 after his General Ordinary Level examination. It is said that the Jesuit priests on his mother’s side of the family were inspirational in this vocational call and with his parents’ blessing he chose the path to priesthood. He excelled in both studies and in sports.
n 1971 he gained admission to the Harwarden Intermediate Seminary at Haputhale and on February 9, 1974 he entered the National Seminary in Ampitiya with God’s guidance for the formation of the priesthood. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 25, 1981, alongside several other deacons at St. Lucia’s Cathedral by Nicholas Marcus Fernando, Archbishop Emeritus of Colombo.
In addition to the Degree in Theology from Rome, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Keleniya and subsequently his master’s degree in sociology also from the same university amidst parish responsibilities. He also obtained a Diploma in Education and Masters in Arts from the National Institution of Education.
He was the first to join the governmental service as a Catholic priest under the direction of Archbishop Emeritus of Colombo and was posted to St. Joseph’s College, Grandpass as his first appointment.
Subsequently, he was assigned as the Vice Principal of the Ragama Basilica College and his final appointment was as the Principal of St. Thomas’ College, Kotte which he relinquished upon his elevation as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo. His teaching career spans over 20 years.