In this newsletter:
Funeral of Father Pierre Dil
Memorial Service on 16th April, 2005
ARV Clinic
As you will by now know, Father Pierre Dil died of cancer in Cape Town on the 9th of March, 2005. Mrs Wenda Dil and family from South Africa and Holland were met at Lusaka International airport on the 15th March by many mourners, who accompanied the family to St Anne's Funeral Home in Lusaka for a short service.
Father Dil was buried next to the Church of the Good Shepherd at Makeni Ecumenical Centre on the 16th of March 2005.
Mrs Wenda Dil, Dr Pierre Dil, Dr Anton Dil and all other family members, including family in Holland, would like to thank everybody who has phoned, visited or sent letters of support and condolences at this sad time for the Dil family. It has been wonderful to see so many people coming forward to let us know what Father Dil meant to them, and to know that his work is valued by so many people.
We owe many thanks to the staff of Makeni Ecumenical Centre, especially Fr Andrew Mukuyamba, Fr Joseph Mukuka, Fr Nathan Ngoma, Fr Maxwell Lungu and Fr Bernard Banda for the moving funeral service on 16th March. Nearly 900 people attended and we heard many tributes from speakers, including the acting Community Development minister, Marina Nsingo.
We were also privileged to be joined by first Zambian president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who spent time with us after the service due to a flight delay. Dr Kaunda had also been scheduled to speak at the funeral.
We would also like to thank all the choirs who practised long into the night on the 15th March, and provided us with poignant music on the day, as well as the ladies of the Mothers' Union, who organised excellent food for after the funeral.
We are all greatly strengthened by the support we have received and reassured that the work of Makeni Ecumenical Centre will continue to develop.
The website will eventually include a page with some photos and other news from the day.
A Requiem Mass and Memorial service will be held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Lusaka, on the 16th of April, 2005, led by Bishop David Njovu. All are welcome to attend this tribute to Father Pierre Dil.
Foundations for a new anti-retroviral clinic are being dug near to the old “Kitchen” building. This large new clinic is being constructed by the Zambian government, who requested that they be permitted do this on MEC grounds. Father Dil was able to approve the going ahead of this project shortly before he passed away. This will provide a much needed service to the local community in the fight against AIDS.
We hope the above reports are of interest to you. Please use them to publicise our work in your congregation and among friends. Its contents will be included also in our website which you may visit at http://makeni.org.uk. (There may be a delay between the newsletter and website materials being updated.)
Please let the webmaster (Anton Dil) know, by writing to postmaster @ makeni.org.uk:
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Wenda Dil and family and the staff of MEC