The Southern Cross, January 22 to January 28, 2020
YoUR CLASSIFIEDS
Fr Leonard Mncwabe CMM
M
ARIANNHILL Missionaries Father Leonard Ndabenhle Mncwabe died after a long illness on January 2 at the age of 45. Born on March 15, 1975, at KwaMnyamana, an outstation of Kevelaer mission, he was the fourth of eight children of Innocent and Lizer MaNdlovu Mncwabe. He did his primary schooling at Mnyamana Primary and secondary school at Ndabakazibuzwa School. As a young man, his desire to become a priest was inspired by his parish priest, Fr Urban Dietrich. Upon completing his secondary schooling, in 1995, the young Leonard joined the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries postulancy in Mariathal under the guidance of Fr Vincent Mdabe CMM, and entered the novitiate at Mariannhill on February 1, 1996, until February the following year. Novice director Fr Peter Grand CMM described the young novice as a “maturing young man who takes his religious life very seriously and lives it in a humble and obliging way with-
out much fuss and noise”. After his first profession in 1997, Fr Leonard studied philosophy and theology at St Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara. With the help of his formators—Frs (now Bishop) Siegfried Mandla Jwara, Vincent Mdabe and Daniel Perreault—Fr Leonard displayed a tremendous growth in prayer life and was enriched by the experience of community life, most particularly in a multicultural congregation. Fr Leonard was ordained to
the priesthood on June 16, 2003, at Kevelaer mission. He worked in various dioceses: in Mariannhill at Mariathal mission; in Durban at Ekukhanyeni and Elandskop; in Umzimkulu at Margate and Gamalakhe; and from 2018 until his death, in Ingwavuma at Manguzi at Immaculate Conception parish. Throughout his priestly life, he showed leadership skills and great ability to work well with parishioners entrusted to his care. As such he served as vicar-general of Umzimkulu diocese, dean of Ingwavuma vicariate, and superior of Mariannhill monastery. Fr Leonard was always willing to take up different assignments and tasks in his congregation. He has left a legacy of hard labour, in the spirit of Abbot Francis Pfanner. His humility was something to emulate. He had great skills to unite people and his consultative skills remain a very good example for all of us to learn from. He was a dignified man who did not use many words. On January 2, Fr Leonard succumbed to liver cancer at Hilton hospital in Pietermaritzburg. Fr Lufeyo Mpaha CMM
FROM OUR VAULTS 68 Years Ago: January 31, 1951
New hierarchy for SA The newly-established hierarchy of South Africa will have four metropolitan archdioceses, which will be headed by Archbishops Denis Hurley OMI (Durban), Owen McCann (Cape Town), John Garner (Pretoria) and Herman Meysing OMI (Bloemfontein).
Anniversaries • Milestones • Prayers • Accommodation • Holiday accommodation Personal • Services • Employment • Property • Parish notices • Thanks • Others Please include payment (R1,90 a word) with small advertisements for promptest publication.
PERSonAL
WIDoWER SEEKS LADY CoRRESPonDEnT: I am a Catholic widower aged 76 years. My wife passed away in 2014 and I now live with my two grandchildren. At times I am very lonely, and need someone to talk to! I am a hard-working person, a member of St Joseph’s Sodality, and love attending Mass on Sundays, reading, and my grandchildren. Widowed women are most welcome to write to me. Name and address: Ntsiapane J Taetsane, 1255 Matsie Street, Tumahole, Parys 9585. Phone: 078 603 0520 from 8pm to 8:30pm. ABoRTIon WARnInG: The truth will convict a silent Church. See www.valuelifeabortion isevil.co.za ABoRTIon WARnInG: The pill can abort. All Catholic users (married or cohabiting) must be told, to save their souls and their unborn infants. See www.epm.org/static/ uploads/downloads/bcpill. pdf
PRAYERS
o MoST beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of heaven,
blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me where you are, Mother of God. Queen of heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succour me in my necessity. There is none who can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands. “Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then publish. Leon and Karen.
HoLIDAY ACCoMMoDATIon
MARIAnELLA Guest House, Simon’s Town: “Come experience the peace and beauty of God with us.” Fully equipped, with amazing sea views. Secure parking, ideal for rest and relaxation. Special rates for pensioners and clergy. Malcolm Salida 082 784-5675, mjsalida@ gmail.com
PARISH noTICES
nEW PARISH noTICES MoST WELCoME: If any parish notices listed are no longer valid, call us on 021 465-5007 or e-mail us at
m.leveson@scross.co.za so that we can remove them. Also, we’d welcome new notices from parishes across Southern Africa to run free in the classifieds. CAPE ToWn: A Holy Hour Prayer for Priests is held on the second Saturday of every month at the Villa Maria shrine from 16:00 to 17:00. The shrine is at 1 Kloof Nek Road in Tamboerskloof. The group prays for priests in the archdiocese, and elsewhere by request. Retreat day/quiet prayer last Saturday of each month except December, at Springfield Convent in Wynberg, Cape Town. Hosted by CLC, 10.0015.30. Contact Jill on 083 282-6763 or Jane on 082 783-0331. Perpetual Adoration Chapel at Good Shepherd parish, 1 Goede Hoop St, Bothasig, welcomes all visitors. Open 24 hours a day. Phone 021 558-1412. Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. Mass last Saturday of month at 9:30 at Sacred Heart church in Somerset Road, Cape Town. Followed by vigil at abortion clinic. Contact Colette Thomas on 083 412-4836 or 021 593 9875 or Br Daniel SCP on 078 739-2988.
Why is it hard for us to say sorry? Continued from page 7 over-priced suppliers, irrational investment decisions, ignoring financial corruption, and bad governance of assets. Each of these gets brushed under the carpet until someone else “blows the whistle”. That means that any apology that emerges is too little and too late. Pope Francis was helped towards his apology because the hand-slapping was so public. But can we rely on religious leaders to admit fault when there is no spotlight? The shocking demise of Catholic Welfare & Development (CWD) in Cape Town has been extensively covered in this paper and other media. But again the public admissions of misconduct came only after it was too late to save the organisation. And, so far at least, neither the directors nor the well-paid managers are the ones who have lost out. Instead it is the thousands of people who are no longer helped by the organisation. A similar collapse last year befell Diakonia in Durban. Managers were paid significant salaries, even while it was
Southern Cross pioneer priest dies Oblate Father Leo Sormany of Durban died on January 24 at the age of 73. A steady stream of mourners of all races paid tribute to the priest as his body lay in state. Fr Sormany was one of the driving forces behind the founding of The Southern Cross.
Row over control of holy sites The kingdom of Jordan, which controls Jerusalem, including the holy sites in the Old City and on the Mount of Olives, has installed a controller in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The installation was supported by Britain but boycotted by France, Italy and Spain as they saw Jordan’s move as an attempt to forestall UN commissioners for holy places.
First-ever SA-born bishop dies Bishop Arthur Doubleday of Brentwood, England, died on January 25. Born in Pietermaritzburg in 1865, he was the first South African to be consecrated a bishop anywhere at his episcopal ordination in 1920.
SOLUTIONS TO 899. ACROSS: 4 Offends, 8 Induce, 9 Evident, 10 Amalek, 11 Finger, 12 Falsetto, 18 Eldorado, 20 Famous, 21 Blames, 22 Pelican, 23 Carnal, 24 Promise. DOWN: 1 Giraffe, 2 Ideally, 3 Accede, 5 Fivefold, 6 Ending, 7 Daniel, 13 Trespass, 14 Warming, 15 Console, 16 Career, 17 Podium, 19 Oilman.
Year A – Weekdays Cycle Year 2 Sunday January 26, 3rd Sunday of the Year Isaiah 8:1-4 (8, 23--9:3), Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17, Matthew 4:12-23 Monday January 27, St Angela Merici 2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10, Psalm 89:2022, 25-26, Mark 3:22-30 Tuesday January 28, St Thomas Aquinas 2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19, Psalm 24:7-10, Mark 3:31-35 Wednesday January 29 2 Samuel 7:4-17, Psalm 89:4-5, 27-30, Mark 4:1-20
Thursday January 30 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29, Psalm 132:1-5, 11-14, Mark 4:21-25 Friday January 31, St John Bosco 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17, Psalm 51:3-7, 10-11, Mark 4:26-34 Saturday February 1, Bl Benedict Daswa Wisdom 2:12-20 or Ephesians 6:10-17, Psalm 27:1-4, John 12:24-26 Sunday February 2, The Presentation of the Lord Malachi 3:1-4, Psalm 24:7-10, Hebrew 2:14-18, Luke 2:22-40
known that they were underperforming; and the directors/trustees kept hoping that the problems would solve themselves. Often they lacked the time, the skills, the objectivity or the impetus to respond. In the case of Diakonia, it was a range of Christian leaders who collectively neglected their duty to the organisation. With several Catholic NGOs (and CWD is simply the biggest example), mismanagement remains unchecked because often the priest or bishop does not want to admit that something is wrong. In a Church structure where our religious leaders often behave as if they are only accountable to God, it is reassuring when, occasionally, they do show that they are accountable to the people of God and are not afraid to admit when they have messed up. But there are some much bigger problems under our ecclesial carpets than the odd act of hand-slapping. n Read more articles by Raymond Perrier at www.scross.co.za/category/perspectives/ raymond-perrier/
Southern CrossWord solutions
Liturgical Calendar
The Presentation of the Lord
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Our bishops’ anniversaries
This week we congratulate: January 27: Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo OMI of Bloemfontein on his 76th birthday January 27: Bishop Kevin Dowling CSsR of Rustenburg on the 29th anniversary of his episcopal ordination January 27: Archbishop Paul Mandla Khumalo CMM, retired of Pretoria, on the 18th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as bishop of Witbank January 28: Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town on the 13th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as bishop of Kroonstad
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