Day 10 – Monday Oct. 10^th.

What a saintly man.

Today we visited with Bishop Kevin Dowling, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Rustenburg Diocese.   He is a Redemptorist which is the same religious order as Archbishop Tobin.    He has been a leader in this area for 26 years.    Much of his ministry has been to defend this people against a harsh and corrupt local leader.   He recalled the story of a protest march which he and some other local pastors were leading in 199 that turned violent.  The local police force opened fire on them with tear-gas canisters and live bullets.  He escaped without being shot, but two of his community members were killed.   Although terrified, he continued his courageous work.

In 1992 AIDS became a huge issue in his township.  He began a ministry known as Topologo, which means “place of peace and rest,” for those infected and affected by AIDS.   This township has the highest percentage of AIDS cases in all of Africa.   In South Africa there are more than 6.2 million people infected with HIV, and 990,000 children have lost their parents to the disease.    Bishop Dowling began a home nursing program to help people infected by HIV to get proper education and medication, he also started a hospice center to help people die with dignity.   Unfortunately he had to close the hospice last year, after 19 years, because of a lack of money.  

Bishop Dowling was truly an inspiring man who continues the important work with enthusiasm and joy, despite crushing poverty and intense personal suffering in his community.

As we left he offered a blessing to each one of us, and asked us for a blessing on him in return.  May God protect and strengthen Bishop Dowling.

After leaving Topologo, we traveled to a placed called Baknbung - "people of the Hippo" - for a couple days of Safari. It is set within an South African National Park with a huge wildlife preserve.    We will go on four game drives to see if we can see any of Africa's exotic animals in their natural environment.    Wish us luck....