Death of retired bishop from Puckane

The death took place on Sunday, October 6, of a Puckane-born retired Catholic bishop who dedicated most of his life to helping the sick and poor in South Africa.

Bishop Hugh Slattery was born in Puckane in March 1934 and educated in Saint Mary’s Boys National School and the old Christian Brothers school in John’s Lane, Nenagh.

He left Nenagh to study for the priesthood in 1951 and went to work as a missionary with the Sacred Heart Order in South Africa after his ordination in 1958.

The young Puckane priest’s new home became the diocese of Tzaneen, a huge rural district at South Africa’s borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique, almost as big as Ireland and home to about two and half million people. In 1984 he was appointed and ordained bishop of the diocese.

Bishop Slattery’s work in South Africa involved numerous roles, many of which included offering medical treatment and education to combat the country’s AIDS epidemic. He and other missionaries of the Sacred Heart working under his direction reached out to thousands of people living with what was then a deadly disease. In the year 2000 alone, 250,000 people in the country had died from the illness.

Inspired by his many years working with victims of AIDS, Bishop Slattery wrote a book, ‘HIV/AIDS A Call to Action - Responding as Christians’. The book was prompted by the positive responses he received to a pastoral letter he wrote on the issue and was lauded by the time by senior figures in the church in South Africa.

CARING ROLE

His work also involved visiting and caring for the district’s many orphaned children, the sick, the dying and the impoverished. The bishop, when speaking of his role to this newspaper on one occasion, said his mission was not just to offer medical treatment and education to the people, but also to encourage in them a sense of self-dignity, and to help them speak out for themselves and strive for a better life.

In an interview with The Guardian at the time of the Golden Jubilee of his ordination in June 2008, Bishop Slattery spoke about the monumental changes he had witnessed in South Africa in his 50 years ministering in the country. It had emerged from its struggle with apartheid to the new enemy that was AIDS.

The work of the Puckane native and his colleagues to help the poor and sick was featured in an award-winning Catholic documentary made over two decades ago.

He always said that the people of Nenagh and surrounds were great supporters of his work, ever willing to dig deep in their pockets to contribute to the many aid projects he was involved in. A special account was established in Nenagh Credit Union to enable members the local community to contribute.

He was home in Nenagh in June 2008 to celebrate his 50 years in religious life. To mark the auspicious occasion, a Mass of Thanksgiving was held at Carrig Church, followed by a social event afterwards in the Muintir na Tíre Hall in Ballycommon.

FAREWELL HUGH

Rev. Hugh Slattery, Emeritus Bishop of the Diocese of Tzaneen, passed away peacefully in the loving care of the staff of Holy Cross Nursing Home in Pretoria. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Julia, sister Margaret O'Brien (Ballycommon) and brother William (Billy), of Ballyanny.

His death is deeply regretted by his family: his sister Clare RSM (Nenagh), his brother James (Jimmy), of Ballyanny, as well as nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, his friends in Ireland, by his fellow Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and especially those who currently live in South Africa and those who laboured with him in South Africa over the years.

Bishop Hugh will be remembered by the people and priests of the diocese of Tzaneen where he was Bishop for 40 years, and also by the communities of the wider Nenagh area and Puckane who admired his work in easing the plight of the poor and sick.

His Funeral Mass took place on Tuesday, October 15, at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Tzaneen, South Africa, with burial immediately afterwards at the local cathedral.

A remembrance Mass will be celebrated in his native Puckane Parish, on a date to be decided.