SACBC Staff – Closing Celebration 2018

 IKHANYA: SACBC NEWS BRIEFING

RECEPTION OF BISHOP ABEL GABUZA: The Reception of Bishop Abel Gabuza as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Durban will take place in Durban on the 10^th February at St Henry’s Marist College Glenwood. Time is 10am.

WORLD YOUTH DAY PANAMA: SACBC Youth who have gone to the World Youth Day are still spending time in Spain before the actual date of the event. World Youth Day will take place from Tuesday, 22 January until Sunday, 27 January. Some of our SACBC Bishops will take part in the World Youth Day 2019 in Panama. We hope to give you some updates through Fr Mthembeni Dlamini CMM, the SACBC Chaplain for Youth and Young Adults. If you are not able to attend this World Youth Day, start now as a young person to get ready for the next World Youth Day, and remember that before the World Youth Day there is normally a Mini World Youth Day, organized by Southern Africa Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). All these need you to start now putting some money aside little by little.

SACBC JANUARY PLENARY 2019.  Due to the World Youth Day, it will take place in February, instead of normal time of January. It will not also take place in St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, instead it will take place at Mariannhill.  The dates for SACBC January Plenary are as follows: 5^th February – 12^th February, 2019.  The Opening Mass will be on the 5^th February, 2019.  Just a reminder that the SACBC President elect, Bishop Sithembele will officially take the position of the SACBC President, taking over from Archbishop Stephen Brislin. All SACBC Bishops will also hold elections for different SACBC Portfolios, including the choosing of the Liaison Bishops for different SACBC Departments. This means that after this plenary there will be many changes in the leadership of SACBC. I invite you to keep abreast with the developments in the local church. I hope to keep you updated about other issues which will be discussed. NB. All the Priests in the Archdiocese of Durban and the Diocese of Mariannhill have been officially invited to attend the opening of the Plenary on the 05^th February 2019 at 17h00.  It is a special Mass of the Holy Spirit. The Liturgical Colour of the Day is Red.  All the priests are reminded to take along their Red Stoles.

PROTECTION OF MINORS: Meeting of the Bishops with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The Presidents of difference Catholic Episcopal Conferences from all around the Catholic World will attend the meeting convened by Pope Francis, on the topic of protection of minors.  The meeting will take place on the 21-24^th February, 2019. More updates will come up concerning the meeting. You can as well follow up with Vatican News for more updates on the preparation for the meeting.

SECAM GOLDEN JUBILEE CONTINUES: SECAM, Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, continues to celebrate 50 years of existence. All the faithful are reminded that SACBC is part of SECAM, therefore required to celebrate together this great achievement of the Church in Africa. Presently Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, the SACBC President elect, is also the second vice president of SECAM.  Prayer leaflets in different languages have been send to different dioceses so that we can join together celebrating the Golden Jubilee of SECAM. On the leaflets there is also a SECAM Jubilee Calendar. In January 2019 the focus of SECAM Jubilee is around the Family and Inter-religious Dialogue. Let us all pray for our families, Christian Unity and good collaboration of different religions, in advancing and promoting a better world for all. In February 2019 the SECAM Jubilee will focus on the sick and praying for them.

BLESSED BENEDICT DASWA: The Feast of Blessed Benedict Daswa is approaching. Holy Father has declared 1^st February as the feast day for the commemoration of Blessed Benedict Daswa.  Let us all remember that he is our own. The cause for Canonization of Blessed Benedict Daswa has started. It is good if we unite together as all the faithful of SACBC to make sure that his canonization is realized. The Official Producer of Blessed Benedict Daswa Mechendise and the creator of his Medal encourages all SACBC Catholics to get themselves Daswa items for their repository in their different parishes and for personal prayer. For more information on the products of Blessed Benedict Daswa, kindly contact: orders@immaculateheart.co.za to place your order.  The following items are available: Daswa T-Shirts, Plate, mug, Key holder, cushion, bag, frame, banner, candle, rosary pouch and many more others. Contact Numbers: 0794769930/0110501235/0845663081. Also remember that there are some items such as T-Shirts and Caps that are being sold from the SACBC Office Department of Christian Formation. For those who will be going to Blessed Benedict Daswa Pilgrimage in Venda on the 23-24^th March and 30-31^st March 2019 will also get some Daswa merchandise being sold. Get prepared for that. SACBC wishes you all the best in your Novena which starts on Wednesday 23th January 2029, in preparation for the feast day of Blessed Benedict Daswa on the 1^st February 2019.

SACBC LITURGICAL ORDER 2019: Liturgical Order 2018-2019 is still available in the SACBC Christian Formation, Liturgy and Culture Office. The copies are now limited in number. Kindly Contact Sr Phuthunywa Siyali to get a copy for your parish, your religious community or for your personal use. Contact Details: 012 323 6458, 0728552206, E-mail: csiyali@sacbc.org.za.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING CAMPAIGN IN RUNSTENBURG: Catholic Church in South Africa, Botswana and Swaziland is part of a global initiative to fight against the strong growing problem of Human Trafficking. Southern Africa Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) in collaboration with Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life (LCCL) have established a special office in the SACBC which is directly responsible for addressing the problem of Human Trafficking with its many faces. Some of the ways of mitigating the problem of Human Trafficking is through campaigns, workshops, Seminars and collaboration with different concerned stakeholders. On the 24^th January 2019, there will be a special campaign in Rustenburg in Mogwase. All Catholics and and people of Rustenburg are invited to be part of this campaign.  For more information contact: Sr Melanie: 012 323 6458, 0726496411, E-mail: moconnor@sacbc.org.za. Another campaign will be in Pretoria on the 10^th February, 2019.  Remember also that 13^th February reserved for the celebration of St Josephine Bakhita, the Patroness of Human Trafficked people.  Let us all celebrate in our different parishes, deaneries and dioceses. Let us stand together against Human Trafficking and uproot it out of our society.