Denis Hurley Centre mourns passing of three contributors

The Citizen

18-07-2025

THE past few months has seen the Denis Hurley Centre (DHC) family embroiled in bereavement, following the passing of their valuable contributors.
Sarah Kearney died at the age of 55 after a protracted illness. She was the niece of DHC founder, Paddy Kearney, one of the three children of his late brother Jack. Sarah was described as an invaluable source of insights for the PhD written about Paddy.
DHC director Raymond Perrier said, 'Saffura Khan died of a heart attack aged 67 after undergoing surgery. Saffura has been one of our most committed and versatile Muslim partners. The fact that she was blind from birth, and a passionate activist for the rights of the disabled, meant that she also brought new insights into our own work. It was in part through her inspiration and gentle cajoling that over the years we could engage a blind tour guide, set up an empowerment project for deaf young adults, and ensure that wheelchair users could be staff members and volunteers.'
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Saffura had been a patron of DHC's sister organisation, the Napier Centre for Healing, as was Bishop Dino Gabriel who has died at the age of 69. 'Sadly, a few months ago, Dino discovered that he had cancer and, after that, his decline was swift. He came to South Africa from Italy in 1987 as a Catholic priest and a Consolata missionary; then later in life he became an Anglican, an Anglican priest and then an Anglican bishop.
'During the four years that he was our local Anglican bishop, Dino was a regular visitor to the DHC and encouraged his clergy to share actively in our ministry. Then in his retirement, he approached us to 'ask' if he could be a volunteer. It was deeply moving to see him come in as humble 'Fr Dino' and happily spend hours attentively in conversation, in fluent Zulu, with our homeless guests,' said Perrier.
'We echo the words of his friend Cardinal Napier who, very fittingly, extended his condolences to Dino's three families: his religious family of Consolata missionaries, his episcopal family in the Anglican dioceses of Zululand and Natal, and his biological family comprising maDlamini his wife of 33 years, their four children and six grandchildren.'
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