Archbishop Dabula Anthony Mpako recalls the late Bishop of Francistown Diocese as “a person of a deep spirituality,” and of prayer.

“We are consoled by the knowledge that Bishop Anthony was a person of a deep spirituality. He was a man of prayer. He loved the Blessed Mother and had a great devotion to the Divine Mercy and spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament.”

The Local Ordinary of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pretoria expressed this in his homily during the requiem mass of the late Bishop Anthony Pascal Rebello SVD.

Appointed Bishop of Francistown Diocese by Pope Francis on July 5, 2021, the Kenyan-born passed away on Saturday, May 4 at age 74.

A person of deep spirituality

Recalling Bishop Rebello SVD sudden death after the recitation of the holy rosary during a pilgrimage to mark the Marian month, Archbishop Mpako said the Member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) served God with dedication and faithfulness.

“Death visited him while he was participating in a devotion he loved, praying the holy rosary and celebrating the holy Eucharist. With such a deep spiritual bond with Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, nothing indeed can now separate him from the loving embrace of the God he loved so much and served with dedication and faithfulness.”

Archbishop Mpako concluded by praying for the repose of the soul of Bishop Rebello SVD and the souls of all the faithful departed.

“May the happy memory of Bishop Anthony Rebello ever remain alive in us. May his example of a deep relationship with God, his simplicity, generosity, genuine love, and compassion continue to inspire and motivate us in our own daily living. May we like him live life in such a way that we always “stand where we are supposed to be standing!”

Bishop Rebello SVD was buried on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, within the premises of Our Lady of the Desert Cathedral.