On Monday I learnt with deep sadness that the great Dominican Friar, Fr Albert Nolan, OP passed away in the early hours of the morning.

We first met in 1976 when Fr Albert was the National Chaplain of Catholic students and I was the National Chaplain of Anglican Students. Although we did not often meet, we were good friends and shared much in common.

Much will still be spoken and written about the contribution Albert made. None of us individually knows the scale of what he did and the many thousands of people whom he influenced and inspired and for whom he was a role model.

Fr Albert was a key figure in the Struggle to liberate South Africa, playing a central role in organisations such as the Young Christian Students (YCS) and the Institute for Contextual Theology (ICT), later becoming the editor of Challenge magazine which championed the relationship between faith and justice.

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Internationally, Fr Albert was most well-known for his seminal work, Jesus Before Christianity, which was translated into many languages. It continues to be celebrated as an important contribution to a theology of liberation. Just a couple of weeks ago, the publisher of Orbis Books in New York told me that they are republishing Jesus Before Christianity as a classic.

For those of us involved in the Struggle as people of faith, God in South Africa articulated a theology for our place and time.

Fr Albert was intimately involved in writing the Kairos Document published in 1985. It laid bare the three trends of state theology, church theology, and prophetic theology to help us make sense of the Church as a site of struggle and provide hope and inspiration as we struggled to end apartheid and create a new society.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Father Albert Nolan – priest, anti-apartheid activist, author and renowned theologian”

My own religious congregation, the Society of the Sacred Mission, was privileged some years back to have a retreat with and be inspired by Fr Albert, which included the substance of what appeared in his later work, Jesus Today.

Astonishingly many years ago, Fr Albert was elected head of the Dominican Order, known as the Master, and declined. He argued that it was more important for him to remain in South Africa at the time. Rumour has it that he was the first person to decline such an election since the Order was founded in the 13th century. Be that as it may, there can be no doubt about the depth of his commitment to the people of South Africa.

Rest well, good and faithful servant, your battle is over. DM

Fr Michael Lapsley SSM is President of the Healing of Memories Global Network.