Emotional Goodbye For Deportee
MR. NOLBERT NHEKAIRO a resident ol Mount St Mary's Mission bids an emotional farewell to Father Slevin
A PREDOMINANTLY black crowd of about 200 people, singing hymns and nationalist
songs, gathered at Salisbury airport yesterday to give an emotional
farewell to Father Paschal Marian Slevin, the deported head of the Roman
Catholic Franciscan Order in Rhodesia.
Father Paschal told reporters at the airport:
"Overseas I intend to tell the truth as see it. I see the country
(Rhodesia) as very oppressed, with no possibility of the people expressing
themselves as dignified human beings. Their dignity has been completely
disregarded."
Father Paschal said he had no immediate plans other than to take a "long
rest". He said he hoped to return to Rhodesia, as there appeared to be
signs of a settlement "just around the corner".
"I hope there is, because this bloodshed and savagery in the bush areas
must be stopped because it is mainly the innocent people who are
suffering.
"The war situation is very tragic, but it will take a very strong African
leader to unite the African people."
Father Paschal said that although he had been deported, the work at Mount
St Mary's Mission at Wedza, of which he was head, would go on.
He said: "There is a new priest there now. It is a service to the people
which must not be hindered."
End
Folks - please keep your emotions tight - this happened and is part of our heritage.
Most know my
personal views on issues like this but they must be recorded so the world knows
what happened in Rhodesia.
It would be interesting to establish if Father Slevin did return to
Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and if still alive is he still there?
Source: Rhodesia Herald, October 5, 1977 newspaper made available by Rob Picton (Intaf)
Thanks Rob
Comments are always welcome, please mail them to Eddy Norris at orafs11@gmail.com
(Please visit our previous posts and archives)
ORAFS records its thanks to the publishers, editor and photographer for the loan of their material.
Ref. Rhodesia
Ref. Rhodesia
posted by Rhodesia Remembered @ 21:35
5 Comments
5 Comments:
He did come back
He did come back.
Fr Pascal Slevin OFM was buried in Ireland on 4 May 2017. RIP
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fr Slevin returned to Zimbabwe and worked on the Franciscan Missions for many years, particularly at Mount St. Mary's Mission in Wedza. In August 2017 (posthumously) he was awarded The Royal Order of Munhumutapa by the government of Zimbabwe in recognition of his services to the country.
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