The MFA Secretary is deeply saddened to inform you that our partner in Dubai, Fr. John Van Deerlin, passed away in his hometown of San Diego, California on 13 August 2014 due to cancer. With great commitment and passion, Fr. John dedicated his last five years to the service of seafarers as Apostleship of the Sea Chaplain, working in close coordination with The Mission to Seafarers. His death has come as a surprise to all of us at the Secretariat, as we were unaware of his battle with cancer until we received this sad news. Since meeting Fr. John in 2009 at a Conference on Migrant Workers and Gulf Churches in Bahrain, he became an instrumental support and advocate to MFA’s work in West Asia. His optimism, openness, and positive attitude were an inspiration to us all, motivating me to push forward in making inroads into the human and labour rights of migrant workers. His dedication and enthusiasm encouraged us all to deliberate on ideas of how to effectively pursue change in the region. He was with us in a number of programs, assisted us in raising resources for the World Social Forum on Migrations in Manila and connected us with other local groups in the UAE. Had it not been for his perseverance and efforts our work in West Asia would not have progressed as far as it has today. We will sincerely miss his presence. May the peace and mission he worked for continue to burn in the hearts of all who he leaves behind. For those who wish to send a message, you may contact the office of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia at [email protected]. Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly. Courage, Peace, Power in a world in which our working together makes a difference. William Gois
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 06:40:29 +0000
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