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Friday, 12 April 2013

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

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5 comments:

  1. Unknown1 May 2017 at 20:12

    He did come back

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown1 May 2017 at 20:12

    He did come back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown4 May 2017 at 23:32

    Fr Pascal Slevin OFM was buried in Ireland on 4 May 2017. RIP

    ReplyDelete
  4. handfp6 May 2019 at 16:29

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. handfp6 May 2019 at 16:30

    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.

    ReplyDelete