London: South African Bishop Dowling to speak on The Joy of the Gospel

Bishop Dowling

Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg, South Africa, Co-President of Pax Christi International, will pay a visit to Britain in June to publicise the legacy of Archbishop Denis Hurley and to raise funds for the completion of the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban. The Centre presently under construction will be home to about a dozen projects to provide medical care, a soup kitchen, job training, support for people living with HIV/AIDS and in particular will offer assistance to refugees, migrants, who have reached South Africa from afar afield as Somalia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over £300,000 has to be raised by September, when completion of the Centre is scheduled.

Bishop Dowling will visit Birmingham, Edinburgh and London under the auspices of the London-based Denis Hurley Association. He will speak in Edinburgh on Tuesday June 24th at the Lauriston Jesuit Centre at 7.30pm and on Wednesday June 25th he will celebrate Mass in St Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham at 6pm and speak in the Grimshaw Room at 7pm. His theme takes the title of Pope Francis' recent Apostolic Exhortation and looks at the joy of the gospel generated by Archbishop Denis Hurley, the stalwart foe of apartheid and Father of the Second Vatican Council, and looks at Pope Francis' pastoral approach to missionary disciples and his option for the poor today. All are welcome.

On Thursday June 26th he will conduct a study day for religious at the Oblate's DeMazenod Centre at Tower Bridge, London, with the theme of 'Religious Life in the light of Pope Francis: Being prophetic and realistic in the world today'.

That same evening, June 26th, he will deliver the 2014 Tablet Lecture in Westminster Cathedral Hall. Details and tickets for this event will be available from www.thetablet.co.uk

Donations are welcome to assist the completion of the Denis Hurley Centre - £10 purchases a brick! Please send to Denis Hurley Association, 14 Quex Road, London NW6 4PL or give online at: www.denishurleyassociation.org.uk/