Fr Richard Menatsi was a “man of excellence and hard work” who throughout his service to the Catholic Church in Southern Africa “disproved the racist prejudice that anything a black person touches collapses,” said the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC).

In his homily during the Requiem Mass at St Mary Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church in Rosemoor, George, Bishop Sipuka eulogized the late Fr Menatsi for his perseverance and dedication during his “long walk to the priesthood.”

He said Fr Menatsi’s long walk to the priesthood began “in his home diocese with the Pallotines, who were triumphantly running” in the Diocese, “then went to the Oblates in the Transvaal, went to Mthatha, where he was eventually ordained a priest and returned to his diocese of birth,” and eventualy succumbed to stage 4 lung cancer on March 19 in Oudtshoorn Diocese where he was temporarly seconded.

Bishop Sipuka described the former SACBC Secretary General as a man with a vision, whose “priesthood was not managed by the situations of life.”

“Fr. Richard’s priesthood was not managed by the situations of life, but he handled the situations according to the vision and purpose he had for his priesthood, and so he survived up to the end of his life,” he said.

The 67-year-old Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese who also served as Director of The Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) from 2009 to 2016, was described as “a happy priest” despite his long walk to the priesthood.

“At the human level, the lack of smooth sailing into the priesthood may have been a blow for Fr. Richard, but seen from the divine perspective, it was a joy for Fr. Richard. For this reason, Fr. Richard was a happy priest even though it took him long to get there,” said Bishop Sipuka.

He continued, “Even though the expectation that he would be a bishop when did not happen, Fr. Richard was not bitter. He understood that for a believer, life is not about where you want to be or expected to be but about doing with the best of your ability what life calls you to do where you are.”

During his homily, Bishop Sipuka thanked God for Fr Menatsi’s exemplary missionary life and encouraged those gathered to take a leaf from the late Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese and “abandon all forms of inferiority complex and assume confident responsibility for the Church entrusted to our care.”

“We thank God for this son of the soil who has shown us an example that we, too, locals, have what it takes to take forward the noble work of the missionaries. May his example inspire us to abandon all forms of inferiority complex and assume confident responsibility for the Church entrusted to our care. Thanks, Rich, and may God forgive you for your sins and welcome you in his presence,” he concluded.