As we are about to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the Servites in Zululand, it is indeed a pleasure for me to congratulate and thank the members of the Order who have been involved in the founding of the Church of Christ during the past fifty years, in what is now the Vicariate Apostolic of Ingwavuma.
It is fortunate that this celebration takes palce during the special year of the Holy Spirit. It is surely the Holy Spirit that led the Superiors of the Order to begin this great taks and it is he who has been guiding those who, with so much zeal and enthusiasm, have been planting the first seeds of the gospel in this part of Christ's vineyard.
That the beginning of this great work was difficult no one will doubt. Just a few years ago a book was written about the northern part of the vicariate, as it was a that time. The title of the book was “Beyond Where the Dirt Road Ends”. It can be said that the mission territory committed to the Eastern American Province by the Holy See was unique in that there were no towns, or even villages of any size in it. But, much has changed in the meantime and a great deal has been achieved in this remote area of Zululand.
As we look back, we can only marvel at the dedication and success of the original pioneers and the constant interest and great generosity of the members of the Eastern American Province of Servites as well as those of the Western American Province, the Australian and Irish Vicariates, who have truly lived out the missionary dimension of their vocation in the founding of the Church of Ingwavuma.
Indeed this celebration should be a joyful occasion not only for Servites but for all who have collaborated with them over the past fifty years.
May God grant that the seed planted fifty years ago will continue to grow to be a vibrant and self-reliant Church and may he shower his blessings on all those who will be involved in this endeavour.
Bishop Michael O'Shea, O.S.M.
(1998)
