Posts by Diocesan Media Team

By Ayanda Nkhambule

As a member of the task team, entrusted by our Bishop to facilitate a smooth process of discernment for the people of God within the Diocese of Manzini, let me share the experience.

It all started when the Holy Father, Pope Francis called for a Bishops’ Synod on Synodality in 2023. The process that prepares for it began last year (2021) but in October, our Bishop, Jose Luis Ponce de Leon, launched it at the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Manzini.

A synod in simple terms is a gathering of several people from different walks of life. These people come together to deliberate on a specific topic or problem. Usually, the Pope targets a specific group of people to discuss these topics; for example, in 2018, the Pope called for a synod on the Youth. That means, the topic of discussion was young people in the church and the target group was youth, so they were the ones who participated in discussion in local parishes. Continue reading “Journeying together” →

by Fr Ncamiso Vilakati

As the deacon of the day, literally roared his name; Rev Deacon Fezile Khonzumenzi Dlamini, one could hear in the affirmative his loud voice saying Ngikhona!. Many were amazed at his courageous affirmative voice and his choice to walk alone down the aisle towards the sanctuary. It was only later when it dawned to many the sole reason, he said he was present, and the core of his duty, when the bishop after anointing him with Sacred Chrism that he should “Yemukela umnikelo webantfu labangcwele, lonikelwa kuNkulunkulu. Condzisisa lokwentako, ulingise lemfihlakalo loyigubhako: imphilo yakho ayilandzele imfihlakalo yesiphambano seNkhosi.” Indeed, this was the gist of him, presenting himself for the work of the priesthood. Continue reading “Ngikhona!” →

It was over a year ago that we launched the “WhatsApp project” called “Diocesan News” inviting you to join and receive news from the Diocese.

We started with one group. Now we have six of them with over 1000 people! As “WhatsApp” has a limit in the number of people in one single group, we had to create new ones. You all receive the same information at the same time.

We are deeply grateful to you. We hope many more will join. If you have not done it and you would like to do so, send us a WhatsApp message to: +268 7662 0223 (please note that comments in the group have been blocked)

We would like to give you a summary of the digital resources available in our webpage. You know them already because you have been receiving them regularly. We do it so that you see them all at once and, if needed, you know where to find them again. Continue reading “Digital spiritual resources” →

Pope Francis meditated on the calming of the storm from the Gospel of Mark during the prayer service over which he presided on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica on Friday evening. Here is the full text. (www.vaticannews.va)
 
“When evening had come” (Mk 4:35). The Gospel passage we have just heard begins like this. For weeks now it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice in people’s gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost. Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying “We are perishing” (v. 38), so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this. Continue reading ““We have realized that we are on the same boat”” →