An ambitious project

Posted on by Vusizwe Motsa

By: Bp José Luis IMC (Bishop of Manzini)

The Diocese of Manzini has been pretty creative regarding our presence in social media. 

Our webpage has been around for many years. Our Facebook Page is one of the best ways for us to share news reaching many in our diocese.

Before COVID19 reached our country, a diocesan whatsapp group was “providentially” created as a way to reach people all over the diocese with news.

When the pandemic brought the first lock-down, we prepared daily podcasts on the gospel of the day. The whatsapp group developed tremendously reaching over 1200 people.

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The challenging call of a deacon

Posted on by Vusizwe Motsa

By: Bp José Luis IMC (Bishop of Manzini)

Homily notes at the ordination to the diaconate of K. Dlamini
(St Ignatius of Loyola, Siphofanen)

Livi laba yinyama!

  1. A call

Most of the times, if not every time, the one being ordained chooses as the first reading the one of the prophet Jeremiah or a similar one. It places today’s celebration in the right context: “the one being ordained is answering God’s call”. There is nothing like: “I would like to be a deacon, I would like to be a priest…” During these 8 – 9 years, the Church has journeyed with Khonzumenzi discerning if God had called him.

Khonzumenzi shared with me that the reading is an expression of his confidence in the One who called him. The future is unknown and he naturally wonders: “will I be able to live as per demands of my vocation? Will I execute it according to His will?”The reading assures him protection among challenges, difficulties, pains…

 2. In the body of the Church

As I said, the Church has been discerning if he has been called by God because this is a call in the Church.

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Blessing of solar panels

Posted on by Vusizwe Motsa

By: Bp José Luis IMC (Bishop of Manzini)

At the beginning of the Season of Creation  we gathered at St Theresa’s Clinic thanking God for the gift of the recently installed solar panels
Below is my address and the prayer we shared

Click HERE for photos of the event

“In 2015 Pope Francis wrote an encyclical letter called “Laudato Si” about the care for creation, our common home.

He writes:  

Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years. Yet we are called to be instruments of God our Father, so that our planet might be what he desired when he created it and correspond with his plan for peace, beauty and fullness. The problem is that we still lack the culture needed to confront this crisis. We lack leadership capable of striking out on new paths and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all and without prejudice towards coming generations. (53)

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Pope Francis’ donation to Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital

Posted on by Vusizwe Motsa

By: Bp José Luis IMC (Bishop of Manzini)

On 11 August 2021 we gathered at Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital (Siteki) I presented a donation from Pope Francis of COVID19 response equipment

Click HERE for photos of the event 

Good Shepherd Catholic Mission Hospital – board chairperson
Lubombo Regional Health Officer
Good Shepherd Catholic Mission Hospital – CEO
Management team
Priests and deacon
Members of the media

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

We are gathered here today to present and thank Pope Francis’ donation to Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital.

From the very beginning of this pandemic affecting the whole world, Pope Francis took an active role and leadership:

  •  As soon as the first lock-downs were announced in Italy, he suspended all the public prayers and weekly audiences that were being held at St Peter’s square;
  • He called the world to prayer and prayed for the whole world. I still recall a very intense and moving prayer held last year on March 27. Intense and moving because Pope Francis chose to do it at St Peter’s square, like many other times. The difference, though, is that he was there all alone. It was the image of a world experiencing lockdowns but at the same time the image of a shepherd that remains close to the sheep;

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