Twelve days after being shot and seriously wounded in a robbery in South Africa, a smiling Fr Kieran Creagh walked out of hospital yesterday.
The Belfast-born priest gave thanks to his many well-wishers, putting his recovery down to the "excellent" medical care he received in Pretoria but also to the "power of prayer".
Among the many messages of support his family received was a note from the Rev Ian Paisley, who said he was "thinking and praying" for Fr Creagh following the shooting.
"We have been overwhelmed by all the letters," said the priest, who was resting yesterday. Fr Creagh's sister Carol Ann, a nurse, has flown from Ireland to South Africa to care for her brother. Two of Fr Creagh's brothers and his father, Jim, have also made the journey.
The 45-year-old priest, who has won international acclaim for his work with victims of HIV/Aids, told The Irish Times he planned to return to Belfast over Easter to recuperate, but he said he was determined to continue his mission in South Africa.
He was moved yesterday into a convalescence home on the outskirts of Pretoria, having checked out of the Zuid Afrikaans Hospital, where he had undergone surgery to remove a bullet from one of his lungs.
Fr Creagh also spoke yesterday about the shooting incident at Leratong, the hospice which he founded for victims of South Africa's Aids epidemic.
The priest was shot three times as he wrestled with a gang of men who had entered his living quarters. Fr Creagh said the men stripped him of his dressing gown and beat him to the ground. He feared they were going to torture him so he grabbed a gun that one of them was holding.
"It all happened so fast," he said of the struggle. After being shot in the body and arm, Fr Creagh limped to a balcony and called for help.
BBC1 Northern Ireland is due to feature Fr Creagh's story on Spotlight tonight at 10.40pm.