Choeu
9 July 2007
The Bishop
The Priest in charge
The perish
The congregation
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Creator
On behalf of the Northern Cape government and the people of the province, I
wish to extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family and relatives and
the congregation at large. It is not possible to comprehend the passing of
Father Choeu without being overwhelmed by what his generation of spiritual
leaders contributed in building our nation. It is not possible to think about
his life and not understand the message his generation has communicated to us
for some time, that the rhythm of human existence and its days to join its
Creator does come to all.
I bid farewell with great sadness and grief as I realise that some of the
best among us has departed. Father Choeu has enriched many of us with wisdom
and spiritual guidance which also deepened our understanding of duty and
responsibility. He did not submit to the pressures of deprivation and hardships
but assisted our people in keeping the faith. To this end, we can attest to his
commitment to serving his community. Our people will forever celebrate what he
did to help them regain their dignity and renew their faith in our Creator.
The memories we have and will forever cherish are memories of a servant of
the community who devoted his life to improving the lot of especially those
children. As I reflect on his life I can still see the outline of the
destination towards which he and his generation have steered our great ship of
struggle as our Captain.
I believe there are many in my generation, who will agree with me that he
helped many people to become makers of history, creating a mighty force of men
and women who are making great strides in many parts of our country. I am
therefore also honoured to say thank you to Father Choeu for what he and his
generation of titans did to restore to us our self worth and humanity by
teaching us respect and humbleness and to strive to the injunction that the
people shall govern.
I am also privileged to convey the condolences of our government and people
of our province to the family and to thank them that they surrendered Father
Choeu to the nation to be used by our Creator as a Captain and our guide. I
feel privileged that I too had passed through his lessons; I learnt what it
means to serve the people, understand from him what it means to be a soldier of
nation.
To me, Father Choeu was a hero and heroes such as him are not mourned but
saluted with honour and dignity. I therefore salute him as a humble and yet
great man of the people who continued to build our community. May his family
find comfort, strength and peace in the knowing that we share their pain and
sorrow. His diligence and commitment to his calling as a Man of God cannot be
forgotten.
He will be remembered as a widely respected man of the cloth, who served his
Creator with honesty and wisdom. I am passing on these condolences to the
congregation in my absence as I am currently in Asia on an official mission,
but I join many people of the province in spirit beyond the shores of our
country, in paying tribute to his life and further salute Father Choeu as a
great man who occupied a special place in the hearts of many. Father Choeu the
nation salutes you. Farewell Father Choeu esteemed patriot and leader of our
people.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
9 July 2007
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
(http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)
