In his homily during the Vigil Mass for the Funeral of Bishop Anthony Paschal Rebello SVD, the president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) said the late Bishop was an “unassuming, humble man of God” just like the Apostle Matthias who was chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot.

“The funeral of Bishop Rebello happily coincides with the feast of St. Matthias, one of the 12 apostles, of whom Bishop Rebello is a successor… One obvious similarity between St Matthias and bishop Rebello is that they are both successors of the Apostles. Matthias succeeded Judas, and bishop Rebello succeeded Archbishop Frank,” said Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka in the Tuesday, May 14 homily.

Hundreds of mourners from Francistown Diocese and beyond gathered at Our Lady of the Desert Cathedral in the eastern part of Botswana to pay their last respects and to pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop Rebello SVD, who passed on Saturday, May 4 at the age of 74.

Reflecting on the readings of the Feast Day of St Matthias the Apostle, Bishop Sipuka said, “St. Matthias and Bishop Rebello also share similar personalities and circumstances in life, and they could be interchangeably called Matthias and Rebello,” as they were both “unassuming and humble.”

The Local Ordinary of Mthatha Diocese went on to describe Bishop Rebello SVD as “a priest and as a bishop” who “strived to remain in the Lord and help others to remain in the Lord.”

“Jesus in today’s Gospel tells us that we are no longer servants but friends with him. Bishop Rebello and St Matthias spent their lives trying to bring others to friendship with Christ, leading them to experience Christ as loving and supporting them,” added Bishop Sipuka.

At the end of his homily, Bishop Sipuka called on the faithful to seek refuge in God to heal them from the “pain of being separated” from their beloved Bishop and to pray for the repose of the soul of Bishop Rebello SVD.