Twenty-one missionaries from Africa and Asia have concluded an orientation workshop at the Padre Pio Retreat and Conference Centre in the Archdiocese of Pretoria. Held from 16 to 26 August, the program was organized by the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) in collaboration with the Leadership Conference of Consecrated Life in Southern Africa (LCCLSA). It brought together priests and religious sisters. Some recently arrived in the region and others already serving for some months.

Preparing for mission

The ten days workshop introduced participants to the history of the church in Southern Africa. the SACBC pastoral plan, safeguarding, professional conduct, synodality, African culture, mental health, and ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, as well as youth ministry.

In a conversation with the SACBC Communication office, the LCCLSA Secretary General Sister Thao Phi FMM said the program was intended to give missionaries a deeper knowledge of the region. its challenges, and its opportunities, enabling them to become rooted in the local church before beginning their ministry.

Meanwhile, the LCCLSA President, Sister Zelna Oosthuizen RGS described the gathering as an important opportunity for mutual encounter. Missionaries. She said, are called not simply to arrive with answers, but to recognize that God is already at work among the people they are sent to serve.

Encountering God already present

This message was central to the presentation offered by the Coordinating Secretary of the SACBC Department for Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue, and Dialogue with the Secular World. Fr Bonaventure Mashata MAfr invited the new missionaries to approach Catholics, Christians of other denominations, believers of other religions, and those with no religious affiliation in a spirit of openness and respect.

God has preceded them, Father Mashata said. Missionaries he added, are called to find Christ in the people and communities they encounter and to embrace them with open hearts.

Learning to listen

For Fr Benjamin Egah MAfr from Togo, the orientation responded to a real need. Now serving in Kimberley Diocese, he said that learning a language is not enough for a missionary entering a new country.

Fr Egah told the SACBC communication office that the program offered him a broader understanding of South Africa’s cultures, traditions, and ways of relating, helping him to take the first steps towards serving local communities, especially young people.

As for Sr Luong Thi Tran FMM from Vietnam, the workshop helped her to understand the cultural differences she has encountered since arriving in South Africa. Having spent her first months learning English and working with preschool children, she said the orientation would assist her future ministry in Johannesburg archdiocese and South Africa as a whole.

The importance of listening was repeatedly underlined by participants. Sr Therese Akpaba SSpS from Togo said that missionaries should first observe, listen, and learn from the people before seeking to make their own contribution. As for Sr Anna Thi Kleu Na Hoang SSpS from Vietnam, the program had strengthened her understanding that mission involves not only preaching but also learning from others, understanding cultures, and building relationships.

A session on mental accompanying missionaries

A session on mental health and burnout addressed another important aspect of missionary life. Rev. Sr Otsetswe Musindo SC from Botswana explained that the transition to a new culture can bring excitement, but also frustration, anxiety, and isolation.

Sr Musindo encouraged missionaries to make use of spiritual direction, cultural mentors, and professional support when needed, noting that consecrated persons are not immune from mental health challenges.

A Church Sustained by Mission

The workshop comes as the church in Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa seeks to renew its commitment to local vocations. According to the LCCLSA study conducted in 2025, the SACBC has 1411 women religious in South Africa, 52 in Botswana and 43 in Eswatini. It also counts 654 Priests and brothers in South Africa, 46 in Botswana and 16 in Eswatini.

Bishop Masilo John Selemela, in an interview with SACBC communications office, said missionaries are an indispensable gift to the local church, which continues to grow towards a mature and self-sustaining faith community. At the same time, he stressed the need for renewed promotion of local vocations rooted in prayer and sustained pastoral accompaniment.

The organizers plan to bring the participants together online again in six months to a year, allowing them to share their experiences and continue their formation as missionaries in Southern Africa.