At the morning Mass of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) January 2026 Plenary Session themed ‘Synodality and Mission’, Bishop Noel Andrew Rucastle of Oudtshoorn invited his brother bishops to embrace a leadership marked by fidelity, courage, and what he described as “divine determination”, as the Church journeys forward in a changing world.

In his Wednesday, 21 January 2026 homily, on the Memorial of St Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, Bishop Rucastle began with a light-hearted but telling personal reflection, recounting a dream in which everything went wrong while preparing for Mass. The story, he said, was “a true nightmare”—a reminder of human anxiety and disorder. In contrast, he pointed to St Agnes, whose life, though often seen by today’s standards as a nightmare, “requires no apologising.”

“For those who aspire to have the life that God has called us to,” the Bishop said, “these followers of Christ regard her as a witness, as a template of virtue and grace.”

Recalling the story of the young Roman martyr, Bishop Rucastle spoke of St Agnes as a teenager from a wealthy Christian family who had vowed her life to God. Despite pressure, threats, and promises of privilege, “she refused to deny her God,” remaining steadfast even to death. Her witness, he said, continues to speak powerfully to the Church today. St Agnes is widely venerated as the patron saint of young girls, chastity, and survivors of sexual violence.

The Bishop also noted the special significance of the feast day for the Church, recalling the tradition in which lambs are blessed and their wool later woven into the pallia given to Metropolitan Archbishops. Addressing Archbishop-designate Sithembele Anton Sipuka, he remarked simply: “So it’s a good day for you.”

Turning to the Scriptures of the day, Bishop Rucastle reflected on the anointing of David and his later confrontation with Goliath. David’s choice of “a staff, five smooth stones and a sling” became, in the homily, an image of leadership rooted not in force, but in trust and obedience to God.

In the Gospel, he noted, Jesus shows “divine determination” by healing the man with a withered hand, refusing to be paralysed by the hostility of the Pharisees. It was this same determination, Bishop Rucastle said, that must shape episcopal ministry today.

“As bishops,” he said, “the challenge to us, who are to take the Conference beyond the milestone of 75 years, is leadership represented by the pallium, by the staff, and by divine determination.”

The pallium, he explained, symbolises communion with the Holy See and calls bishops to imitate Christ the Good Shepherd, “who always goes in search of that lost sheep.” The crosier, or pastoral staff, signifies the bishop’s responsibility to “guide, protect and correct the faithful.”

Yet, Bishop Rucastle warned, this mission can be weakened by fear and compromise. “Divine determination to guide, protect and correct is sometimes overshadowed by the human inclination to avoid unpleasantness, criticism, and to distance ourselves from a world that seeks quick-fix answers and temporary gratification,” he said, candidly adding: “As I readily point a finger at myself this morning…”

Drawing from the Church’s Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops, Apostolorum Successores (Successors of the Apostles), he proposed the “five smooth stones of David” as a framework for episcopal leadership today, namely; the safeguarding and handing on of Sacred Scripture, the faithful proclamation of the one Gospel and one faith, bringing the light of the Gospel to new questions arising from changing circumstances, to sanctifying and governing the People of God, and living with a missionary dynamism in continuity with those who have gone before.

“This is not a dream,” Bishop Rucastle concluded. “This is the key to a synodal leadership in a changing world.”

The Mass, celebrated by the Province of Cape Town, was presided over by Bishop Rucastle, with Bishops Kizito and David concelebrating. The Gospel was proclaimed by Bishop David, with Fr Mchunu serving as proclaimer.