Father Balink street officially opened this weekend

From Sunday, 26 November, Kruis Street in Parys will officially be known as Father Balink Street.
Father Balink Street runs from the Mimosa Gardens, past the licensing department in King Street, right in Brown Street and upwards into Gibbon Street, up to the Mosepidi Hall, turning right and ending at Nzeke Street in Tumahole.
As can be seen from the narrative below about the life and times of Father Balink in Parys, especially during the politically turbulent years in the 1980s and early 1990s, naming this street in his honour represents a significant legacy of this much-loved and respected Catholic priest.
Father Balink was born in Holland where he received his early training.
He came to South Africa in 1956 and  underwent his priestly studies in Kroonstad, Welkom, Odendaalsrus and then in Parys. In 1986, he was formally appointed in the Diocese.
In addition to his involvement in these centres, he also travelled extensively in South Africa and the USA, leading workshops and training courses.
In 2002, he decided to retire from his formal pastoral duties but remain active in church and community affairs.
Father Balink was outraged by the injustice and excesses of Apartheid and the effect it had on the people living in Tumahole and Schonkenville.
With much energy and passion, he gave of his time and intellect to help the people by forming peace committees, for example. He worked in conjunction with town people to promote dialogue, foster training and protect people who were being unfairly harassed by the police.
For this work, he was awarded a Nelson Mandela Peace Award in 1994 and was a member of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in 1994.
In addition to these mainly political activities, he developed bursary schemes, initiated a day care centre and was passionate about minimising the effects of the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Much of this work has been continued and extended by the Lewis Balink Foundation, a non-profit organisation that runs from his original home in Boom Street.
It is hoped that Father Balink Street will serve as a symbol of some of the ideals for which Father Balink stood: Caring for the poor and serving your community.
It is interesting to note that the new Father Balink Street will serve to link the     population of Parys, in general, with the communities of Tumahole/Schonkenville and, thereby, bring the towns together.