Pretoria, 10 June 2010
Dear Father Declan,
I was pleased to learn from Bishop José Luis that you are celebrating your Golden Jubilee of Priestly ordination. Please accept my sincerest congratulations on this most auspicious occasion. You have served the Church well over the past fifty years, and most especially the Church in South Africa. Your tireless efforts for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially in the Vicariate of Ingwavuma, have brought countless numbers to the faith. In addition, you have assisted many of the laity, the seminarians, the religious and the clergy in deepening their commitment to the Lord.
In a special way, the Holy See is mosts grateful to you for the service you rendered the Vicariate as Apostolic Administrator in the time between the death of Bishop O'Shea and the nomination of Bishop José Luis. I am particularly grateful for your willingness to continue in that role even when your health was not so good, and am appreciative of the assistance you have given to the new Bishop as he has assumed his pastoral care of the local Church in Ingwavuma.
