Covid-19 Updates in the Church

• To address challenges posed by Covid-19 the Catholic Church is working together with other Churches and Faith Based Organisation under the Umbrella of South African Council of Churches (SACC). To know more what the churches are doing regarding Covid-19 kindly visit this site: https://www.churchinaction.org.za/, everything you want to know about Church and Covid-19 in South Africa is there on this page. Please use the information. For more information kindly contact Moagisi: +27 (0) 11 241 7800, E-mail: moagisi@sacc.org.za

Precious Blood Sisters Message of gratitude

• Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, the SACBC Secretary General, has issued a message of appreciation and gratitude on behalf her CPS Community, to all the people of God who gave them support and offered them their prayers during the very difficult times of losing their 5 Sisters in one week due to Covid-19.  She said through your support and prayers they are able to move forward with faith and courage. She urges all the people of God to take care of themselves, be safe and continue to pray for each other. For more information you can reach Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS: +27 12 323 64 58
  

SACBC and World Refugee Day

• 20^th June 2020 marked annual celebration of World Refuge Day, which has been introduced since 2001.  According to SACBC Migrates & Refugees Office, the celebration highlights the plight of refugees and celebrate their mettle and resilience. The theme of this year celebration was: “Everyone can make a difference. Every action counts”. We would like to congratulate all the people who are working hard to address plight of the refugees in our conference. The office encourages all the faithful in our parishes to find means of addressing their challenges. For more information kindly contact: Sr Maria de Lurdes +27 79 167 2928 who is in charge of the office.

Archbishop Zolile Mpambani SCJ

• We congratulate the Archdiocese of Bloemfontein for their new Shepherd, Archbishop Zolile Mpambani SCJ.  He was installed as the Archbishop of the same diocese on the 19^th June 2020.  Let us remember him in our prayers, and also let us remember all the faithful of Bloemfontein.  We thank Archbishop Jabulani Nxumalo OMI for his unreserved dedication during his time as the Bishop of the archdiocese.  We wish him well in his new responsibility and his years of relaxing from active life. Let us also pray for the faithful of Kokstad Diocese because they are left as sheep without a shepherd.  Let us join them in their prayer to get a shepherd. For more information about the Archdiocese of Bloemfontein kindly visit: http://catholicdirectory.org.za/bloemfontein/

New Secretary General for Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life South Africa (LCCL), under the Leadership of its new President, Sr Nkhensani Shibambu CSA, would like to let you know that Sr Thao Phi FMM, has been appointed as LCCL new Secretary General, replacing Sr Maureen Rooney HC, who served the office with distinction during the previous years. For More information kindly contact LCCL Office: +27 11 327 0145, E-mail: lcclsa@mweb.co.za

Bishop Ordination of Oudtshoorn Diocese  

• We are still waiting to hear the updates about the ordination of the Bishop Elect of Oudtshoorn, Fr Noel Andrew RUCASTLE. We will immediately let you know when the date is officially out.

Fr Sakhie Mofokeng term of office in the SACBC has come to an end

• Fr Skhumbuzo Cyril Ngubane has taken over from Fr Sakhie Mofokeng as the Coordinating Secretary for the Department for Formation, Life and Apostolate of the Laity. We thank Fr Sakhie Mofokeng for his outstanding work and dedicated in serving the laity of our conference. He has been reassigned back to his Diocese Bethlehem, working as the Parish Priest of Fickburg. We wish him well in his new responsibility. Fr Skhumbuzo has already started his new mandate since 1^st June 2020. For more information kindly call the Department: +27 12 323 64 58.

Fr Patrick Rakeketsi CSS Term of office in the SACBC has come to an end

• Fr Patrick Rakeketsi CSS will be leaving the conference after 6 years of dedication and hard work. We thank him for the outstanding work as the Associate Secretary General of Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which is made up of three countries: South Africa, Botswana and eSwatini. Fr Patrick will be deployed back to his Congregation of the Stigmatines at the end of July. We wish him well in the new responsibility. He will be replaced by Sr Tshifhiwa Munzhedzi OP. We congratulate Sr Tshifhiwa in her new responsibility. She was the promoter of Blessed Benedict Daswa Cause for Canonisation. Sr Tshifhiwa will resume her responsibility on the 1^st July 2020. Definitely she will be missing a good work she was doing with the people of Tzaneen Diocese. For more information kindly call SACBC Communication Office: +27 12 323 64 58. 

SACBC August Plenary Session 2020 Cancellation

Due to the scourge of Covid-19. Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has cancelled August Plenary Session 2020.

Gender Based Violence in South Africa

• SACBC Justice and Peace Commission, on behalf of the Catholic Church, has issued a statement condemning Violence against Women and Children in South Africa that has once more reared its ugly head nationwide since Level 3 of Covid-19 Lockdown. The Commission calls for another new approach in ending the problem in our society. It also calls for more investment on the initiatives of fighting the scourge. For more information kindly call: Bishop Victor Phalana, Chairperson for SACBC Justice and Peace Commission, 0824707151.

• Our SACBC Secretary General, Sr Hermenegild Makoro CPS, who is also the member of Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), has also appealed to SACBC Departments to work together and look closely the issue of Gender Based Violence in our country, and find best ways of addressing the problem, as it is becoming worse every day.

Bishop Victor Phalana’s Letter to the youth during Youth Day Celebration on the 16^th June 2020

• In the letter Bishop Phalana encourages young people not to give up on life. He urges them to continue looking for better opportunities regardless of the challenges they are facing today in our countries. He urges young people to become job-creators instead of being job seekers. He also urges the government and other stakeholders to empower young people through various skills training and basic skills required to enter the market. For more information kindly contact: Bishop Victor Phalana,  Chairperson for SACBC Justice and Peace Commission, 0824707151 

DHPI (SACBC Justice and Peace beyond the Borders of South Africa)

• Denis Hurley Peace Institute is an Office in the SACBC which addresses issues of Justice and Peace outside of South Africa; therefore in our involvement as the Catholic Church on issues of Justice and Peace in Africa as a whole, while SACBC Justice and Peace Commission addresses issues of Justice and Peace locally. Currently DHPI is working together with Justice and Peace of the following countries: Uganda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, DRC, Cameroon, etc.  To know more about what the office is doing kindly contact Johan Viljoen: +27 12 323 64 58.

From Communication and Media Office

• SACBC Communication and Media Office would like to make you aware of the development one our SACBC Directory.  Since 2016 SACBC has stopped issuing Hard Copy Directory. Online SACBC Directory has been established.  If you want any contact in the church kindly visit: http://catholicdirectory.org.za/. All the contacts of any office in all SACBC Dioceses are found in the Online Directory.

• The effectiveness of the Online Directory depends on the Dioceses to update their information and send it to SACBC Head Office (Khanya House) Communication Office. There are people in the dioceses who have been appointed by Bishops to oversee the issues of updating Online Directory Page for their diocese. Only few dioceses have not chosen a person to manage the diocesan page, the Bishop of the diocese is the one doing the updating for himself. 

• SACBC Communication and Media Office would like to appeal to all the faithful in their dioceses to visit the link of Online Directory, http://catholicdirectory.org.za/, to see if your diocese has the updated information of your portfolio or institute.  We depend on the dioceses to have an effective Online SACBC Directory which is up-to-date and serves its purpose.  For more information kindly contact Fr Paul Tatu CSS: +27 12 323 64 58. CARRY SACBC WHEREVER YOU GO. VISIT SACBC ONLINE DIRECTORY.

• SACBC Communication and Media Office has a duty of helping SACBC Dioceses with issues of Communication and Media. If you need anything in your diocese related to Communication and Media kindly contact the office, through collaboration with the Ordinary (Bishop), and the office will attend to you.  Some of the issues the office can help with are the following: Communication and Media Workshops, Coverage of Diocesan Events, News from the Dioceses, Advice on dealing with the Public Media, Help in dealing with the Media during emergency times, helping in the implementation of Diocesan and SACBC programs, such as Pastoral Plans, etc. Don’t hesitate to contact the office anytime.  Don’t forget as well to visit our SACBC Website: www.sacbc.org.za, to know more about Southern African Catholic Bishops ‘Conference. We are there for you. People who are responsible of issues of Communication and Media please contact me: Fr Paul Tatu CSS: +27 12 323 64 58, E-mail: ptatu@sacbc.org.za CARRY SACBC WHEREVER YOU GO. VISIT SACBC ONLINE DIRECTORY.

Prayer for the cure of Covid-19

• Let us continue to pray for the cure of Covid-19, and make sure that we are always safe by following the precautions which have been set for us by the Department of Health, and have been implemented in our different institutions and organisations.  The choice to stay safe has been left to our own responsibility.  Unfortunately there are still some people who believe they will not be infected and affected by Covid-19.

• Protecting yourself from Covid-19 by keeping the basic principles: social distance, wear your mask always in the public and make sure you wash it now and them, don’t put more than once a disposable masks, wash and sanitise your hands as prescribed by the Ministry of Health, avoid visiting of places where there is a gathering of people unnecessarily, such as shopping centres, avoid touching of your face, cough on your elbow, teach your children about the danger of Covid-19 and the precautions they have to follow etc. Adhering to safety precautions is not only about protecting self. It is also about protecting your family, friends, colleagues and others. Change your careless behaviour towards Covid-19 and safe your loved ones. To know more about Covid-19 visit:   https://www.churchinaction.org.za/.

• Use your Social Media Platforms to promote good practices against Covid-19, promote networks of adoption of good behaviours among your peers, friends, family members, colleagues, church members, community members, business members, etc. We can no longer be locked down like before, life has to go on. LET US ADOPT GOOD BEHAVIOUR NETWORKS WHEREVER WE ARE. UNITED WE CAN STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. Your cooperation is the safely of our nation. Don’t to correct where people are careless about precautions.

By SACBC Communication and Media Office.
We Build Bridges of Faith and Better Life.

For More information, kindly contact: Fr Paul Tatu CSS, +27 (0) 12 323 64 58, email: ptatu@sacbc.org.za