Category: Diocese of Manzini News

Their journey towards priesthood

by the Bishop

The diocese of Manzini (Kingdom of Eswatini) is blessed with local vocations. At present we have seven seminarians coming from different parishes in our diocese. They spent most of the year in South Africa at the seminary of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference(SACBC). They come back for their holidays which they spend basically in our parishes. It is during their holidays in the country that we make time to meet for half a day. It gives me an opportunity to hear a bit about their personal journey towards priesthood.

Last December, though, we were able to take a couple of days together at the “St Lucia retreat and training centre” in the Vicariate of Ingwavuma (where I was bishop before being appointed to Manzini).

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Our Lady of Hope, Wall of remembrance

by Bishop José Luis IMC


The year 2018 saw the end of the renovations of our “Little Flower” chapel which we started in November 2017. Our beautiful chapel is now 90 years’ old and looks beautiful.

In the Catholic Church, we respect the ashes of those who have been cremated in the same way we do when we bury their bodies.

Next to the chapel, though, something new has been added: a wall of remembrance. It is the first in our diocese! Around the statue of Our Lady, a place for the conservation of ashes of our deceased brothers and sisters has been built.

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Diocesan Altar Servers’ retreat

By Siyabonga Kwanda Ndwandwe

Although the announcement for the altar servers retreat was dispersed a few weeks back to all the parishes in the diocese, the young men did not disappoint, they came in large numbers. To show their devotion to their work, altar servers gathered at the Sisema building in Manzini on the 13th to the 15th of December 2018.

The organizing team which included Fr Theodomir Sibomana and seminarians: Khonzumenzi Dlamini, Thokozani Mkhonta and Kwanda S. Ndwandwe tried their best to do a good job. Continue reading “Diocesan Altar Servers’ retreat” →

Advent “P”: Prayer and Poor

by Bishop José Luis IMC

The advent season has ended and the time to celebrate Christmas has come. I was thinking of our advent season at Our Lady of Assumption (Cathedral). 

It was certainly marked by prayer, by joy and celebration. This year we were blessed with two Christmas’ carols service. The first one was organised by the town council and was held at our Cathedral. I could not join them as I was on my annual retreat.

Two weeks’ later we had another one organised by the children, the youth and young adults. It was called “The nine lessons of Christmas”.

Click HERE to continue reading from the bishop’s blog

 

“Keep the promise – Know your status”

by Nercha Executive director

On Friday 30 November 2018, Hope House commemorated the 2018 World AIDS day under the theme “live positively – Know your status”. The speeches reminded us where we are coming from and how much has been achieved. We remembered the suffering, the tears, the struggle to keep our hope alive, the funerals we attended. We pray daily to God, asking Him to keep us strong but also to help us stop so much suffering. God listened to our prayers. Though there is still no cure for Aids, it is no longer a death sentence.

Below is the full speech of NERCHA Executive Director

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First Communion at St Joseph Parish

by Hamilton Khoza

SEVENTEEN CATHOLICS RECEIVE THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY COMMUNION AT ST. JOSEPH PARISH

On Sunday 25th November our Parish welcomed 17 of her members into their next level of growth as Catholics.

During the last two years, the Chatechists in the Parish have been busy with their noble work of teaching and mentoring the children and some elder members who had not received their Sacrament of Holy Communion; and it was a really great day not only for them but the whole congregation who were witnesses of this important occasion.
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WFS – Launching the year of the Social Catholic Teaching

http://www.richardchalloner.com

by Bp Jose Luis

Last November 2018 I launched a three-year program in our diocese. I called it: WFS. It stands for Word Faith and Social. I felt there was not much creativity in the name but at least it would give a clear idea of what I had in mind.

As I shared in the blog at that time (link) being installed as Bishop of Manzini, I shared on three things Catholics should be recognised for:

Continue reading “WFS – Launching the year of the Social Catholic Teaching” →