Denis was a man with a large heart, a great capacity for friendship, and a deep love and commitment to his faith and the Marist charism.
It has been a pleasure and privilege to have known and been inspired by him.
I began working with Denis in 2002 when he became Provincial of the Society of Mary.
I worked closely with him, especially on how the Society of Mary and the Church at large in this country communicated their message.
At the time, we were being made aware of the sexual abuse activity that had existed within our communities in the preceding decades.
Denis was committed to ensuring that abuse complaints were heard and appropriately acted upon.
He appreciated the value of good communications but was not accustomed to talking to the media.
He agreed to undergo professional media training to enable him to fulfil his responsibilities as Provincial.
Denis was a modest man who was not comfortable in the limelight.
Yet, despite his nervousness, he courageously agreed to a lengthy television interview to discuss the situation in which the Society and the Church found themselves embroiled.
I was present at this interview and was moved by the honesty and humility of his responses.
In the following years, I met him on many occasions in Auckland, mainly when he came to oversee and guide the Logos Project.
He valued the care and empowerment of young people. He spent much time supporting Logos in its amazing work to develop faith-centred and resilient young people, especially those not reached by other Church agencies.