‘Stand Up and Do Something’
Fr Patrick McMahon OMI
Fr Paddy McMahon OMI came to South Africa in 1946. Today, aged 95, he is the sole survivor of that group of four young men from Ireland assigned to the African mission 61 years ago.
During a recent visit to South Africa, Barbara McCauley from the Oblate Mission Development Office in Dublin met with Fr Paddy at his AIDS hospice in the township of Inanda Newtown, on the outskirts of Durban. She takes up the story of how this remarkably healthy and energetic nonagenarian set up an AIDS hospice over twenty years ago:
“In response to the Church’s challenge to stand up and do something about poverty, unemployment and HIV/AIDS, Fr McMahon started a 12-bed hospice in 1984, four years after the new settlement of Inanda was established.
Today, 1.5 million people live in this impoverished township. The much expanded hospice is perched on the side of a hill. A big sign outside reads, “Sukumawenze: Place of Care”. Sukumawenze means ‘Stand Up and Do Something’.
This is the only such hospice in the area. Fr McMahon has built up a supportive relationship with the Department of Health and Social Welfare. The hospice is usually full to capacity with men, women and children suffering from HIV/AIDS and related killer illnesses such as TB.
I witnessed the magnificent care that volunteer nurses were giving lovingly and cheerfully to people, some of whom had come for respite and others to die.
Incredibly, Fr McMahon’s oasis offers further services to the people. He provides computer training courses; a daily feeding programme for orphaned and sick children; a home-visit programme; counselling and HIV testing and a basic education programme on HIV/AIDS and TB.
As I was leaving, I turned around to wave goodbye and marvelled at the drive and accomplishments of this most unassuming of men.