Harvey shone for me in his total single-mindedness and his laid-backness in leadership. By the latter I mean his unobtrusiveness. His lifestyle appealed to me for its simplicity. He dressed simply and lived simply.

Perhaps his greatest quality was his centredness on people and their growth. He pounced on me for leadership at the first workshop he gave in Buenos Aires (Argentina) and would not take no for an answer. His first words to me were, "How can I help you?" I saw him overcome language barriers and instantly inspire love in people.

I enjoyed his teaching skills so laced with his sense of humor. His smile was totally unmysterious, open, and engaging. I respected his thinking so much, and I would savour for years the comments he made.

He had a big sense of the oppressive nature of many institutions and kept at me about cleaning up the Catholic Church. I felt this was a bit one-sided. Then eventually a Liberation Reference Person was appointed for Protestants! The same way with women's liberation and men's, African Americans and now whites. He was always ready to probe further. This is really intelligence at its best.

Harvey will live long into the future in all of us who knew him and loved him dearly.

Ronnie Rafferty
Rosario, Argentina


Last modified: 2022-12-25 10:17:04+00