Category: Diocese of Manzini News

The demise of the Just

By: Siya K. Ndwandwe

One of our seminarians Siyabonga Ndwandwe prepared the following about the xenophobic attacks, women abuse and murder that has been going on in our neighbouring country. Let us stand in unity!!

Conscience is dead, Couldn’t handle the imprisonment,
The confinement in the wicked human heart,
Justice gave up being just.

Voices of the innocent weeping for serenity, Consternation to reach my flawless life, Fear to explore the world, Fear to be a victim of one’s mistake. Continue reading “The demise of the Just” →

Gratitude from Hope House

by Sr. Elsa

July was a very busy month with house full of patients .Three of the clients were suffering from the third stage of Cancer and came with very serious conditions, all three of them died in RFM hospital after being referred. The four kids of Client S were discharged and went back home well improved in their condition and to continue with the ARVs. They had gained weight and were much improved.

T, 15 years, a defaulter is still battling for his life, he had been sent home and lost a lot of weight. M.K 33 years, another defaulter, has made a big improvement from the 23rd of July, now he is able to talk, eat and walk, we pray that he will be able to return back to his work. His girlfriend is taking care of him very well. Mrs. N 34 years came with her TB drugs and ARVs and was blind. The good balanced diet, physiotherapy and tender loving care promoted a speedy recovery. Her husband a soldier is also on ARVs.
Continue reading “Gratitude from Hope House” →

A country and a world without “trafficking in persons”

by Bishop José Luis IMC

Earlier this year, our diocese launched a “Trafficking in persons’ desk”. It was a natural step to be taken after all the initiatives of the past years: marches, round tables, awareness campaigns… It also followed a meeting of delegates from the Kingdom of Eswatini, South Africa and Malawi at Lilongwe in 2018 where the three countries and three organisations committed to work together: Caritas, the Eswatini Council of Catholic Women and Thalika Kum.

We were therefore grateful for the invitation to attend the launching of “The Kingdom of Eswatini National Strategic Framework and action plan to combat people trafficking” (NSFAP) last 8 August 2019 at the Royal Swazi Spa. Our diocese, through this desk, partners and want to be of support to the efforts being done by government.

Continue reading “A country and a world without “trafficking in persons”” →

St. Joseph Sodality Donates to Esigcineni Torched Family

by Maduduza Zwane 

The St Joseph Sodality showed the works of mercy when they donated blankets, shoes, cooking appliance and clothing items to a torched family in Esigcineni. Below is Maduduza Zwane’s(Chairman of the Sodality) presentation on the day.

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Father Mbongiseni Shabangu the parish priest for St. Don Bosco and caretaker rector at Salesian High School, Father Mahazule, Chairperson of St. Don Bosco Parish Council Sibongile Masuku, members of the St. Joseph Sodality and all present, I greet you with our important and significant greeting in the Catholic church. “Akadunyiswe uJesu Khristo! ” Izwi Laba yinyama:

Babe we are representing St. Joseph Sodality in the Diocese of Manzini an organisation of Catholic Married men.We have now a membership of more than forty men in the Sodality. Due to their work commitments, they could not come instead they delegated us to perform the presentation. Continue reading “St. Joseph Sodality Donates to Esigcineni Torched Family” →

“The priesthood thought kept coming back and intensified”

By Thokozani Mkhonta

It still surprises me to realise that I am hopefully and joyfully journeying towards the Roman Catholic Church priesthood as a seminarian. I would never have imagined that attending mass for the first time in my life in April 2009 would dramatically change the course of my life.

It all began when I met and befriended a particular Catholic man in the neighbourhood of Luyengo where I was staying at the time. We would occasionally bump on to each other in the neighbourhood and hence began to know and talk to each other. He was a faith inclined person and thus faith was one of the topics that dominated our conversations though we rarely agreed on this topic as there were many things I then didn’t understand about the Catholic Church.
Continue reading ““The priesthood thought kept coming back and intensified”” →

“Nangu umpristi wenu omusha sha!’’

By Vusizwe Motsa

It has been a while since the Catholic Church in Eswatini received the gift of a new priest. It is always a jubilant and extraordinary celebration when this happens. On Saturday, 8th June 2019, it was not different. His Lordship, Bishop Jose Luis Gerardo Ponce de Leon IMC ordained Dabulamanzi Ntshangase to the priesthood at the Cathedral in Manzini. Hundreds of people from all over the diocese and neighbouring country South Africa came to witness this celebration.

Even before 10am, the Cathedral was already packed to the rafters. Throngs of people were already inside when the Bishop, the clergy, seminarians and altar servers made their procession inside while the Choir rendered entrance hymns. The candidate’s (Dabulamanzi) parents, other family members and friends were among those present. Continue reading ““Nangu umpristi wenu omusha sha!’’” →

Memorial Lecture for Late Bishop Mandlenkosi Zwane

By Maduduza Zwane

Embezzlers of Charity Funds are Murderers – Archbishop Slettary

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in partnership with the Good Shepherd Parish hosted a memorial lecture in memory of the late Bishop Mandlenkosi Zwane on Saturday 11th May 2019 at the Parish’s High School.

The late Bishop Mandlenkosi Zwane was awarded by the South African Government led by Thabo Mbeki then with the order of the companion of O.R Tambo in Bronze for his caring ministry to both South African and Mozambican refugees; his strategy to pull communities out of poverty; his support for the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and the strength to rid churches in Swaziland of their imperial trappings and colonial tendencies. Continue reading “Memorial Lecture for Late Bishop Mandlenkosi Zwane” →

The House is on Fire!

By Maduduza Zwane

At Late Bishop Mandlenkosi Zwane’s Memorial Lecture

The House is on Fire – By Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon

At the memorial lecture of the late Bishop Mandlenkosi Zwane at Good Shepherd Parish on the 11th May 2019 hosted by the Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace, Diocese of Manzini Bishop Jose in his introductory remarks told the audience that the House is on Fire regarding the destruction of the environment.

Christians must move swiftly to put off the fire otherwise they will fail to return the gift of the planet by God in the condition that God entrusted it to the people who are in his image. Continue reading “The House is on Fire!” →