Cohoes priest teaches in Zambia

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For Rev. Thomas J. Hurst, SS, a Cohoes native, his ministry is very definitive: the education of other men for the priesthood. But he does it half-a-world away from the Albany Diocese -- in Zambia.

Although Father Hurst has been in residence at St. Dominick's Seminary in Lusaka for only two years, his direct involvement goes back to the 1980s when he helped to establish the eight-year seminary program in the capital of one of the poorest countries in Africa. His involvement was part of what he terms "a commitment to the Catholic Church in the developing world."

During an e-mail interview with Father Hurst, The Evangelist learned what it is like to be an American priest and educator in a Third World country.

Order's purpose

Father Hurst belongs to the Society of St. Sulpice, a religious community whose primary apostolate is the training of men for the priesthood. Founded in the 17th century in France by Jean Jacques Olier, pastor of the Church of St. Sulpice, the order has trained priests for dioceses around the world.

"I joined the Society because of an interest in the education and formation of seminarians and priests," Father Hurst said from Africa. "I have spent my entire priesthood doing this ministry.

"Two hundred years ago, Sulpician priests assisted the Catholic Church in the New World [America] in the training and establishment of priests. They were invited to the U.S. by the first American Bishop, John Carroll, and founded the first seminary in Baltimore. The Society has continued to staff seminaries throughout the U.S., and our priests have trained many American priests. Going to Zambia, I thought, provided an opportunity for Americans to provide the same service for others."

Zambian life

Zambia, an English-spreaking country, is located in southern Africa. Bordered by the Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Angola, it is primarily rural, and the people work as subsistence farmers.

Father Hurst indicated that in the few urban areas, such as Lusaka where the seminary is located, there is massive unemployment, and diseases such as cholera, malaria and HIV are at an epidemic level. However, he finds the enthusiasm and vitality of the people's faith on a grassroots level very inspiring.

"I teach Scripture and Dogmatic Theology, usually three courses each semester, and I am the academic dean of the Seminary for Theology," he said. "Having taught in seminaries in the U.S. for about 20 years, I find the Zambian seminarians to be just as faith-filled and enthusiastic about ministry and service as young men in the States. They are interested in getting a good education and being formed for the service of others."

Mourning

Life in Zambia is not always easy for the seminarians or for the priests who teach them. Last year, one of the seminarians, a 23-year-old in his first year of study, was stricken by cerebral malaria and died in his sleep. Father Hurst recalled how the community mourned him.

"The evening before the funeral Mass, crowds of people began arriving at the seminary, coming on foot, by bus and in the back of trucks and vans," he said. "The young man's family members, hundreds of sisters and priests from other religious communities, parishioners from the surrounding areas -- all came to mourn the loss of this dedicated man. While his body lay in a narrow, wooden coffin in the seminary chapel, everyone gathered around an enormous campfire on the lawn to mourn him. We spent all night, singing hymns, telling stories and reading Scripture. We shared about faith and trust in God in difficult times. It was a true Zambian mourning, including drums and dancing."

Father Hurst was deeply moved by the community's sense of loss but empowered by their faith in the risen Christ.

More to do

Father Hurst hopes to remain in Zambia for one more year. He plans on being in the Albany area next June for a visit.

"I am enjoying my time and ministry here," he concluded. "In this Jubilee year, we are conscious of the worldwide dimension of Christianity and the universality of the Catholic Church. Living in another country and culture has greatly enriched my life and my faith.

"My time here in Zambia has been most rewarding, and I hope that my presence as a Sulpician priest has been a help to a young and growing Church."

(Father Hurst loves to get e-mail. He can be contacted at [email protected].)

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