The Local Ordinary of Port Elisabeth Diocese in his homily during the Opening Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit for the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) 2025 first Annual Plenary Session, reflected on the Holy Spirit’s active role in salvation history, Jesus’ ministry, and the life of the Church.

Bishop Vincent Mduduzi Zungu OFM highlighted the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’s and the Church’s lives. From the Annunciation to his baptism, public ministry, and ascension, the Holy Spirit’s presence is evident, guiding and animating Jesus’s mission.

“Jesus was not a stranger to the Holy Spirit. His relationship, intimacy, and encounter with the Holy Spirit go back to that Divine Family of God the Father that we traditionally refer to as the Holy Trinity,” said Bishop Zungu in his Tuesday, January 21 homily.

Reflecting on the recently concluded Synod on Synodality and the Jubilee Year, the member of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) underscored the importance of familiarizing with the final document to foster a synodal Church where all faithful are active participants in the mission of Christ.

Bishop Zungu posed key questions for reflection: How do we for instance make conversation in the Spirit part and parcel of all the structures of the Church? How do we produce leadership: priests, deacons, and religious who can be committed to serving the synodal Church that is on a journey of faith together, in communion with the full participation of all the faithful who are equally convinced that they are missionary disciples – not just observers or spectators in the Church?

Acknowledging the pressing challenges facing the Church and society in southern Africa, such as poverty, unemployment, corruption, and crime, Bishop Zungu urged the faithful to embrace hope as a source of renewal.

Quoting Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter on Fraternity and Social Friendship Fratelli Tutti, Bishop Zungu reminded the congregation of the need for “a strong dose of faith, hope and charity.”