Catholic Church News More than the expression of ideas US$1 NHAU DZEKIRIKE INDABA ZEBANDLA ISSUE 116 JULY - SEPT 2019 Beitbridge Town Council to Catholic University SECAM GOLDEN JUBILEE name road in honour of Fr. Jules Opens Sixth Campus at Celebrated at Namugongo, P.2 P.4 Greber: As Church mourns two P.13 Bondolfi in Masvingo. Uganda, July 2019. great missionaries. 140 Years of Catholicism for Bulawayo By Br. Alfonce Kugwa celebrations were a symbol of Empandeni in 1887. The Fr. Vusimuzi Golden Moyo. confirmed this reality saying h e A r c h d i o c e s e o f massive spiritual and celebrations, held at Our Lady The anniversary serves as a what the Archdiocese of Bulawayo on 29 June infrastructural development by of Fatima Parish, Pumula testimony of the deep Catholic Bulawayo is today was shaped 2019 celebrated 140 the Catholic Church in South were coupled with the faith that has taken root in by the sacrifice of the first yearsT of Christianity in Matebeleland from the time of priestly ordination of Fr. Prize Matebeleland and Zimbabwe missionaries who toiled to lay Matabeleland and 25 years as a the first missionaries in 1879 Kevin Madzivanyika CMM, as a whole. The Archbishop of the foundation. metropolitan see. The and their settlement at Fr. Brian Francis Kandlela and Bulawayo, Alex Thomas Continued on p2 Are you a young man aged The Official Launch of John Bradburne's Cause 18 years and above? Feeling called to religious is set for 5th September 2019 at Mutemwa in Zimbabwe. life? On 1st July 2019, the Congregation for the With 5 O' levels and A' level Causes of Saints in Rome including English? issued a formal nihil obstat Baptized and confirmed for the cause of beatification of Franciscan Catholic? missionary John Bradburne Why not join the Order of to proceed. Friars Minor and evangelize On 5th Sept 2019, the 40th following the footsteps of Anniversary of John's assassination, there will be a special ceremony St. Francis of Assis? at Mutemwa in Zimbabwe where the cause Contact the Vocations will be officially launched. Director: Two weeks later, on 21st Sept 2019, the Br. Mafa Br. Jean Claude OFM: celebrations will continue at Westminster Cathedral in London with a Mass, followed by +263 77 376 2557 an exhibition of John's life with John's relics being displayed for the first time. Page 2 Catholic Church News July- Sept 2019 Three Priests Ordained in Bulawayo as Archdiocese celebrates 140 years of Christianity. from p1 Br. Mafa Archbishop Alex Thomas is seen here with Monsignor Gabriele, Bishop Serrano and the newly ordained priests. Today we are standing on the faith and launching into space of the missionary rosary and foundations laid by our predecessors. We have honouring of catechists who devoted their life to “nothing to boast about. We are only carrying spreading the Gospel within the region. on what they begun. The faith that was planted like The history of Christianity in Matebeland dates back to a mustard seed at Empandeni Mission has grown the period of King Lobengula, who was only interested into a tree reaching out to all the corners of in the skills priests could teach his people but not their Zimbabwe. But we have a responsibility to keep it, religion, which he felt would undermine his influence. make it better and produce more fruits,” said According to records, the Church grew roots in Archbishop Alex. September, 1879 when Fr. Depelchin S.J, Fr. Augustus The Archbishop hinted on the need to cherish, Law, S.J and Brother De Sadeleer arrived in what was protect and advance the imprint left by the founding known as “Gubulawayo” and established the first missionaries whom he said left a legacy of hard mission “The Mission of the Sacred Heart” near King work, faith and commitment. Lobengula's royal residence. “It is very easy to receive something from others Bulawayo Diocese was raised to a metropolitan see by but to keep it and make it better requires extra effort, Saint Pope John Paul II on 10 June 1994 and the first care, commitment and love. It is our bounden duty Archbishop was Henry Karlen CMM followed by as believers to contribute towards the Archdiocese's Archbishop Pius Ncube and then Archbishop Alex future,” he said. Thomas. Archbishop Alex stressed that the Church can only were reminded that priesthood in the Catholic Church The Archdiocese of Bulawayo has 20 missions, 27 grow based on the strong faith of its members who is a sacrifice for the Kingdom of God and not a urban parishes, 9 Centres for Early Development, 14 do not compromise when it comes to faith matters. position, office, job or profession. It is only granted to primary schools, 13 secondary schools and three He challenged the priests and religious to improve the courageous and those committed in faith. vocational centres at Empandeni, St. Luke's and St. Pius the quality of their faith and their service to the “That is why candidates for priesthood are chosen, Bulawayo City, respectively. The Archdiocese of people as followers of Jesus Christ. He called them trained and selected. Nobody can become a priest Bulawayo has 101 priests, 131 sisters and 9 brothers. to emulate the attitude of martyrs whose blood is overnight like modern day prophets. Priesthood is not There are two mission hospitals which are St. Ann's the seed of faith. for the weak and feeble minded,” echoed the Brunapeg in Matebeleland South and St. Luke's in “We need that attitude of sacrifice for the Kingdom Archbishop. Lupane under Matebeleland North. of God. Sacrifice is demanded from us and not just The event was capped by launching of the book expected of us,” stressed Archbishop Alex. “Sowing the Word; From Zambezi Mission to the The newly ordained priests and the entire clergy Archdiocese of Bulawayo”, the blessing and SECAM GOLDEN JUBILEE Celebrated at Namugongo, Uganda, July 2019 By Fr. Fradereck Chiromba celebrations by five Bishops and the ZCBC Secretary Tiburtino was elected the new President of the General, namely, Archbishop Robert C. Ndlovu, Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa th Bishop Michael D. Bhasera, Bishop Paul Horan, Madagascar (SECAM). He succeeded the Archbishop and Madagascar (SECAM) established 29 July as a Bishop Rudolf Nyandoro, Bishop Raymond of Lubango, Angola, Most Rev. Gabriel MBILINGI, SECAM DAY. On this day, or the Sunday closest to th Mupandasekwa and Fr. Fradereck Chiromba. This was CSSp. the 29 of July, every diocese is encouraged to have a the maximum number of delegates permissible for A golden jubilee Mass, celebrated with thousands of the commemorative Mass to make SECAM better Zimbabwe, given that the country has only eight faithful, at Namugongo Shrine of the Uganda Martyrs, known. A special collection is made with the diocese Dioceses. concluded the jubilee celebrations. A Kampala retaining 25% and 75% sent to SECAM to support its The opening Mass on the morning of 21 July was document, resulting from the Theological reflection of operations. followed by the opening ceremony in the afternoon of the Bishops will be issued by the end of the year to This year the SECAM DAY coincided with the golden the plenary meeting and jubilee celebrations. The provide a vision for SECAM and the Catholic Church in jubilee of SECAM, which convened a Plenary meeting Bishops had an opportunity for Theological reflection Africa for the next 50 years. from 19 to 29 July 2019, concluding with the Jubilee from 22 to 24 July, followed by an Administrative celebrations at Namugongo, the shrine of the Uganda meeting from 25 to 27 July, concluding with elections A BRIEF HISTORY OF SECAM Martyrs. As the history below will show, Uganda was for a new Executive Committee for SECAM. His The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa chosen for the jubilee celebrations because this is Eminence Philippe Nakellentuba Cardinal Ouédraogo, and Madagascar (SECAM) was born out of the wish of where SECAM was born 50 years ago. Archbishop of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and African Bishops attending the Second Vatican Council Zimbabwe was represented at the plenary meeting and Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Consolatrice al (1962-1965), to establish a forum in which they could cont on P9 July- Sept 2019 Catholic Church News Page 3 Gokwe Diocese; a Church on the Move in Transforming Communities with Pro-poor Projects. By Br. Alfonce Kugwa okwe Diocese is a Church on the move as Mr. Gwenya, the purpose of introducing motor Shingai Training Centre with the hope of building witnessed by numerous developmental projects mechanics at the school is to equip learners with skills relevant structures a few kilometres from Gokwe town lined up for the local church. The diocese has which are necessary in the motor industry. along Kwekwe road. By the same token, a second low G “This also helps to create self-employment for school cost boarding school has been opened at Amai come of age in self-supporting, self-propagating and self-ministering efforts. A visit to the diocese and a tour leavers who will work as mechanics making it possible Vetsitsi/Nemangwe High school to cater for learners of some projects revealed that the diocese has great for them to earn a living. The interesting aspect is that who live far from the school. The facility which is for potential to transform the lives of people in the both boys and girls are studying this important subject. both boys and girls is the second one after St. Francis surrounding communities.