Irish priest shot dead in South Africa
Fr Declan Collins, a 50-year-old Salesian missionary from Louth, was killed in what appears to have been an attempted robbery.
A colleague, Fr Matthew Agostinelli, found him dead late on Saturday night at his presbytery in the Indian township of Ennerdale near Johannesburg. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The former bank official, who was ordained to the priesthood 12 years ago, had been putting the finishing touches to preparations for the opening and blessing of a new multi-purpose hall. Since going to South Africa in 1991, most of Fr Collins’ time was spent working with street kids in Cape Town, as well as a period working in Swaziland.
Fr Michael Smith, provincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco missionaries in Ireland, said Fr Declan had a heart of gold.
“He will be remembered for his deep concern for young people in difficulty, a quality that was evident even in his days in the bank when he devoted much of his spare time to voluntary work in various youth clubs,” said Fr Smith.
“Those who knew him speak also of his courage in difficult and challenging situations, his sense of humour and his exceptional generosity. We have lost a good priest and a generious missionary,” he said.
Fr Smith offered his sympathy to Fr Declan’s parents Maurice and Monica, from Baltray near Drogheda, three brothers and two sisters. His challenging work in Cape Town included work with homeless children and adults, on whose behalf he lobbied for fair policing. He was instrumental in pressure for an inquiry in the mid-1990s, which led to the charging of five city traffic officers in connection with torture and abuse. It is not yet known what arrangements are being made for the murdered priest’s funeral, but it could depend on the police investigation of his death.
