Date | Age | Event |
9 November 1915 | - | Born of Irish parents in Cape Town, South Africa |
1924 | 9 | Schooling at St. Elmo's Convent, Umzumbe |
1928, 1929 | 13-14 | Schooling at St. Thomas' School for Boys (Newcastle Dominicans), Newcastle |
1930, 1931 | 15-16 | Schooling at St. Charles' College (Marist Brothers), Pietermaritzburg |
1932 | 17 | Novitiate of Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Ireland |
1933 | 18 | Began studies in Rome |
1936 | 21 | Obtained Licentiate in Philosophy at the Angelicum (now St. Thomas Aquinas University), Rome |
9 July 1939 | 23 | Ordained priest in Rome |
1940 | 25 | Obtained Licentiate in Theology at the Gregorian University, Rome |
1940-1943 | 25-28 | Curate at Emmanuel Cathedral, Durban |
1944-1946 | 29-31 | Superior of St. Joseph's Scholasticate, Prestbury, Pietermaritzburg |
12 December 1946 | 31 | Named Vicar Apostolic of Natal with rank of bishop |
19 March 1947 | 31 | Ordained bishop, the youngest in the world at the time |
11 January 1951 | 35 | Appointed Archbishop, the youngest in the world at the time |
1952-1961 | 37-46 | President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference |
1961 | 46 | Appointed to the Central Preparatory Commission of the Second Vatican Council |
1962-1965 | 47-50 | Attended Vatican Council and served as member of the Commission for Priestly Formation and Christian Education |
1964 | 49 | Appointed member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy |
1965-1966 | 50-51 | President of the South African Institute of Race Relations |
1965-1968 | 50-53 | Member of the Liturgical Consilium, a Vatican body charged with implementing the Council's decree on liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium |
1967 | 52 | Attended Synod of Bishops in Rome |
1968 | 53 | Convened first Synod of the Archdiocese of Durban |
1969-1974 | 54-59 | Member of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship |
1970 | 55 | Honorary Doctor of Laws, Notre Dame University, Indiana |
1972 | 57 | Civic Honours, City of Durban |
1974 | 59 | Attended Synod of Bishops in Rome; elected member of the Synod Council (charged with organising the next Synod) |
1975 | 60 | Elected Chairperson of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy |
1975 | 60 | Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (Légion d'Honneur), France |
1976 | 61 | Founded Diakonia, Durban ecumenical agency for social concern and action. |
1977 | 62 | Founded the Human Awareness Programme |
1977 | 62 | Attended Synod of Bishops in Rome; elected member of Synod Council |
1978 | 63 | Honorary Doctor of Literature, University of Natal |
1981-1987 | 66-72 | President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference |
1982 | 67 | Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC |
December 1983 | 68 | Affiliated to the Marist Institute |
9 October 1984 | 68 | Charged with an offence under South African law for making "false statements" concerning atrocities committed by 'Koevoet' - a South African paramilitary police unit in Namibia. |
18 February 1985 | 69 | Acquitted when the prosecutor announced the State would not proceed with the trial, as the case was based on "rumour and hearsay evidence" |
1985 | 70 | Brought Supreme Court application which made legal history when it led to first court-ordered release of detainees held under Section 29 of Internal Security Act. |
1986 | 71 | Honorary member of Black Sash, a South African women's anti-apartheid organisation. |
1986 | 71 | Honorary Doctor of Laws, De Paul University, Chicago |
1986 | 71 | Honorary Doctor of Sacred Theology, Santa Clara University, California |
1987 | 72 | Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Georgetown University, Washington, DC |
1988 | 73 | Honorary Doctorate, University of Leuven, Belgium |
30 July 1989 | 73 | Golden Jubilee of priestly ordination |
1989 | 74 | Durban Press Club: "Headliner of the Year" |
23 June 1992 | 76 | Resignation as Archbishop of Durban officially accepted on the appointment of his successor. Acting as Administrator of the Archdiocese until the installation of the new Archbishop. |
4 October 1992 | 76 | Retired when Bishop Wilfrid Napier OFM installed as Archbishop of Durban |
1992 | 77 | Appointed Parish Priest, Emmanuel Cathedral |
1992 | 77 | Freedom of the City of Durban |
1993 | 78 | Freedom of the City of Pietermaritzburg |
1993-1998 | 78-83 | Chancellor of the University of Natal |
1993 | 78 | Honorary Doctorate, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago |
1996 | 81 | Honorary Doctorate, St. Paul's University, Ottawa |
19 March 1997 | 81 | Golden Jubilee of Episcopal ordination |
1997 | 82 | Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Onorificenza de Grande Ufficiale) |
1998 | 83 | Named Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation |
10 June 1999 | 83 | Order of Meritorious Service (Class 1), awarded by President Nelson Mandela |
9 July 1999 | 83 | Diamond Jubilee of priestly ordination |
1999 | 84 | Establishment of the Archbishop Denis E. Hurley Educational Trust by the University of Natal |
2001 | 86 | Golden Jubilee of appointment as Archbishop |
2001 | 86 | Honoured by the KwaZulu-Natal African Renaissance Committee as one of a number of community leaders invited to leave their handprint in a memorial in front of the Durban City Hall |
2002 | 87 | Retired as Parish Priest of Emmanuel Cathedral and went to live at Sabon House retirement home for Oblates of Mary Immaculate |
13 February 2004 | 88 | Died of cardiac arrest at Sabon House, Durban |
27 February 2004 | | Civic Memorial Service, City Hall, Durban |
| | Buried in the Lady Chapel, Emmanuel Cathedral, after Requiem Mass at Absa Stadium, Durban
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