Fr Anthony Pathe CSsR 101 years old RIP...
Today is also a sad day for us as a Region (and the Provinces of South Africa and London) as we mourn the passing on of one of our two founding Fathers, Fr Anthony Pathe, who died this morning in South Africa, aged 101 years.
In front of my desk is one of the two Account ledgers (whoseinformation I am slowly entering into the laptop) that Fr Pathe and Fr Foster bought on 12 August 1960, three days after arriving in Salisbury. These account ledgers were to serve as ‘Chronicles of the Rhodesian Foundation’ (1960 – 1977). It is a privilege that we have this treasure in our possession. Maybe just to share a few insights from the accounts:
"May 27 1960
On Friday morning May 27th Father Provincial [V.Rev Wilfred Hughes CSSR] received through the post official, word from Rome that authorisation was formally granted to undertake a new foundation at Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, in the peri-urban area of BORROWDALE. This enterprise was to be placed within the jurisdiction of the Vice Province of South Africa. Two Fathers of the home province had been selected to pioneer this undertaking, Rev Fathers Anthony Pathe and Philip Foster CSsR
Some three weeks previously Father Pathe who was minister of the Edington Abbey community had been confidentially notified of the project and to hold himself in readiness to undertake it as Superior as soon as Rome authorised it. Father Foster, then on the Mission staff of Bishop’s Stortford, was summoned to Clapham on May 27th to learn for the first time of the enterprise and his selection as Fr Pathe’s Consultor.
Immigration application forms were procured this same day from Rhodesia House."
On the 5th of July they had collected £870 to commence the ‘Salisbury project’ – towards building a Redemptorist Church and house. On 7 July they departed from St Mary’s Clapham at 8.30am and boarded the Pretoria Castle for Cape Town, arriving on the 21st of July at 6am. After spending a week in Cape Town, they proceeded to Pretoria by train where they stayed for a further two weeks. On 9 August 1960 they came to Salisbury by plane (their luggage came by train). The Entry for the 9th of August 1960, which was the feast day of St John Vianney, is proudly written in capital letters
‘FIRST DAY AT SALISBURY’,
marking the beginning of their great evangelizing adventure!
We are grateful and indebted to the zeal and love that Fr Pathe and Fr Foster put into establishing this mission.
May the Crown of eternal life be granted them!
An extract from the Regional Superior's Letter to the Confreres in Zimbabwe
