Two Jesuits From Africa Working at the Denis Hurley Centre

by Admin · Published January 30, 2022 · Updated February 1, 2022

Fr Greg Mulobela (left) and Fr Désiré (right) assist nurse Clovis Dusabe in unpacking medicines in the pharmacy at DHC. This includes the quarterly donation of medicines that they receive from City Health, their only regular financial support from the SA Government

The training of Jesuit priests is renowned for how long and thorough it is. Now almost two decades after they started their formation, two Jesuit priests are completing their ‘Tertianship’ in KZN under Fr Mike Lewis SJ and Fr Isaac Kiyaka; and a work placement at the DHC is part of their programme.

Gregory Mulobela is from Zambia, and so part of the new Southern Africa Province of the Society of Jesus which includes South Africa and eight other countries. He has been a Jesuit for 20 years and a priest for nine years. He trained in Project Management before joining the Jesuits, and has since worked in a high school, a mission parish and rural development projects. Désiré Yamuremye is from Burundi where he was the founder of Service Yezu Mwiza (‘compassionate Jesus’), a socio-medical centre at the service of the poor dealing with HIV and AIDS, TB, leprosy and reproductive health. He was also the representative of the Catholic Church in the Burundi Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

During their month with the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban, Fr Greg will be focused on working with Sr Cathy’s team in the Nkosinathi project; Fr Désiré will be with the clinic team where his various languages from the Great Lakes region will be invaluable in assisting the DHC’s refugee patients. As well as offering counselling and spiritual support, they will also turn their hands to whatever is asked of them, remembering that being “at the service of the Church” is a watchword of the Jesuit’s mission, the DHC said.

According to the DHC, the two priests will also help out in the Cathedral parish, saying Masses on Sundays and during the week. And in their very first few days, they worked with DHC director Raymond Perrier on leading three morning retreats to groups of learners aged 14-18 at Fatima Dominican Convent School.

Fr Greg is pleased to have this time engaged in the concrete care of marginalised people. He feels that it will give him a chance to reflect on his life and commitment as a Jesuit, away from systems-level thinking, and immersed instead in what he calls the Denis Hurley Centre’s “sacred space”.

“It is good, for the first time, to have Jesuits involved hands-on in the work of the DHC,” the centre said. “Archbishop Hurley and [DHC founder] Paddy Kearney were both very fond of the Jesuits. Jesuits in the UK and South Africa assisted us with substantial donations when our building was being constructed and again during our COVID appeal in 2020,” the DHC said.

Pope Francis – the first-ever Jesuit pope – constantly reminds us of the importance of being “the Church of the poor”, the DGC noted, adding that Raymond Perrier spent six years as a trainee Jesuit and five years running the Jesuit Institute in Johannesburg. “We share with them the view that all we do is: ‘For the Greater Glory of God’,” the DHC said.