He founded the Jesuit Catholic Institution at Chishawasha Mission, just outside Harare, in 1964 to shelter discussion groups of local Zimbabwean political nationalist leaders to reflect on crisis of that time. The centre flourishes today with multiple programmes, including advocacy and peace building, community development, provision of technical vocational skills and socio-economic research and analysis.
Dove was a pioneer in leadership training for blacks and initiated a number of courses to train trade unionists long before they were recognised by the government of the day. Former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba and former Minister Herbert Murerwa were among his trainees.
Dove has been descried as a man of imagination and tenacity and he loved his vocation. He served with the 9th Gurkas during the Second World War. Following a short spell in business he entered the Jesuits in 1949. He came to Zimbabwe in 1961 and was director of Silveira House from 1954 until 1985. Since then he moved from place to place.
He went to Mutemwa from 1985 and saw it as his twilight mission, hoping to end his days there where his friend John Bradburne had lived and died. But in 1991 he was called to be responsible for Chishawasha Mission and it was around this time that recognition of his work at Silveira came in the form of an Honorary Doctorate from St Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia (Canada).
In 1995 he moved to the House of Adoration before going to Musami as an assistant pastor the following year and he became involved in the Arrupe Centre for the Disabled there. Finally he returned to SH in 2000 as a pastoral priest caring for people in the surrounding area.
Post published in: News
RIP Fr John Dove. A life lived to serve others!