In Pace Christi

For the entire Congregation, but  especially for us here in the South  African Province it was a tremendous  blow when we heard that the Lord of life and death had called  his faithful servant out of his zealous  work to a place of rest and  peace with him. We all were stunned  because we had to realise that  Fr. Denis no longer would be able  to make his most valuable contributions  to the missionary endeavour  of our Congregation. Indeed, he  was a great missionary.

Having been  a native of this country he grew  up with the black people and had  a perfect command of the Zulu  Language. He had a deep knowledge  and understanding of their  mentality, ways and customs, which  gave him a big advantage over all imported missionaries. But the greatest  thing was that he had a tremendous  love for his people, which  made him in turn loved by all.  I will never forget when I once  travelled with him to Marianhill.  Father Denis never failed to stop  when an African stood on the side  of the road and thumbed a lift.  The way he talked about them  showed that he had a deep love and  the greatest respect for their dignity.  And when he found them in need  he would give the last he had. 

We also were stunned because we  had to realise that we lost a great  confrere. Who of us does not remember  him at meetings and other  gatherings? How often did he rescue  us out of a sticky situation where  tempers tended to fly high (at meetings).  He was always kind, friendly  and most helpful to give advice.  After his return from the Chapter  he made a directed retreat at Mariannhill,  and on returning one  could see and feel the love for God  and his fellowman radiating from  him. 

The crowds who had come to pay  their last respect to him at the  funeral at Maria Trost bore witness  through their presence to the greatness  of Fr. Denis, and I am sure  they also said a deep felt Thank You  Fr. Denis to him. 

Here are a few dates of his life:  Fr. Denis was born in Barberton,  Tvl. His father was not catholic,  but his mother very devout and  exemplary. He often told us how  he played as a child with the African  children.  His schooling up to matric he  received in Middelburg, where he boarded at the hostel. Our present  Bishop, then Father Anthony, was  the hostel father. After having taken this hurdle successfully he decided  to go into the mining field as a  surveyor. However soon he was  called up to do his military service.  Like many others he had to go up  north and fight Rommel, the desert  fox and afterwards to go further on to Italy. When the war was ended  he returned to his beloved country  and decided to study for the priesthood.  He went back to the hostel  in Middelburg and studied for about  one year Latin under Fr. Anthony  (Bishop). From there he went to  Pietermaritzburg, where the scholasticate  of the OMI was. There he  finished his theological studies and  was ordained in 1952.  Maria Trost, Driefontein (Witbank),  Glen Cowie, Bongani and  Acornhoek were the stations where  he left lasting traces behind, traces  which bear witness to his zeal, his  knowhow and his dedication to his  calling as a labourer in the Lord's  vineyard.  Those who knew Fr. Denis were  aware of the gradual awaking in  him of the desire to belong to our  religious family. In February 1966  he took this call seriously and entered  the novitiate in Luckau. One  year later he took his first vows  and on July 11, 1970 he made his  final vows at Glen Cowie.  The fact that he was councillor  to the Superior, Councillor to the  Bishop and at the end Vicar General  of the Diocese speaks for  itself and goes to show what a person  he was.  One of his great joys was that  he could participate in the General  Chapter of the Congregation in Rome  and make his contribution to the  fruitful outcome of it.  Father Denis had his working  boots on when the Lord called.  Indeed he was a faithful servant.  P. Alois Eder, mccj 

Da Mccj Bulletin n. 128, giugno 1980, pp.72-73