Denis Hurley, A Portrait by Friends

A South African Presbyterian minister asked a Catholic archbishop if he could publish a book about him, and was mildly astonished when, in May 2001, Denis Hurley agreed.

Both men had played a role in the churches’ struggle against apartheid. Anthony Gamley pastored a Presbyterian congregation in the midst of township violence in rural Natal.

Archbishop Hurley, described by Nelson Mandela as “…an outstanding example of dignity, compassion and commitment to equality and human rights”, kept multi-racial Catholic education going in spite of apartheid, and even stood on street corners with placards to make his opinions of racism public.

Both men marched in the great 1989 protest demonstrations which heralded the end of apartheid.

So it happened that the ecumenical project Denis Hurley, A Portrait by Friends was published.

The book includes chapters by many well-known names of the anti-apartheid struggle who worked with Denis Hurley, including a foreword by Desmond Tutu.

Denis Hurley, A Portrait by Friends, Editor Anthony M Gamley, Cluster Publications 2001, is available to Journey readers for $25 (plus $5 P&P) when ordered HERE.

Maggie Helass is Editor of Common Theology, a national, independent, ecumenical publication. http://www.commontheology.com.