Vicariate Apostolic of Ingwavuma

Pastoral Letter on Finances (2012)

+ Jose Luis IMC

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

"May the Word of Christ dwell in you abundantly". This is the theme that leads our journey. As I've shared with you in different times and places, we'd like the Word of Christ to enlighten us daily. We'd also like to become more familiar with the way the first Christians welcomed Christ's Word in their lives.

The book of the Acts of the Apostles tells us about a man called Barnabas. He was not one of the twelve but the Church remembers him as an apostle. "He owned a piece of land he sold it and brought the money and presented it to the apostles" (Acts 4, 36). We might be surprised about this but the sharing of what each one had seems to have been common at the beginning of the Church. In fact we read: "The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common... None of their members was ever in want as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any who might be in need" (Acts 4:32.34).

Catechetical committee

VAI

With the new year, all the committees of the Vicariate started meeting to make their year-plan. Jozini has become "the place" for any Vicariate meeting as it is pretty central. A week ago the Finance Committee gathered there and last Saturday it was the turn of the Vicariate Catechetical Committee.

After the opening prayer and reflection, the Bishop thanked God for the work done in 2011: the planning in January, a retreat in February, trainings in March (Hlabisa) and June (KwaNgwanase), teaching plan and material in August, Bible training in October... a very intense year.

Kairos Southern Africa

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THEOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL REFLECTIONS
ON THE 2012 CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

A WORD TO THE ANC, IN THESE TIMES

As we continue to celebrate the coming of the Word into the world (John 1: 1) and God made human, we, fellow South Africans and Christian theologians, now wish to pass these words on to the African National Congress, as it prepares to celebrate its centenary during 2012…

We do so in a spirit of appreciation and gratitude for you and in a spirit of true friendship, where we can both congratulate you and raise some concerns as friends, and pray that these celebrations will be appropriate and not lavish, especially given the levels of poverty and inequality in our country.

We do so, knowing that many members of the ANC are also part of the Christian community, and this document is therefore written for our collective reflection.

We also do so, knowing that many Christian leaders were involved in the formation and nurturing of the ANC over the years, and we therefore continue to feel a sense of responsibility for its existence and what it does. In 1912, the founders of the African National Congress dreamed of a different future for all the people of South Africa, where there would be no more coloniser and colonised, but where we would all be one: One people, one nation, one country!

First gathering of 2012!

VAI

Like we do every two months, this morning we gathered at Riverview to reflect together. This was the first meeting of the year. The particular thing was the presence of not only the priests but also the Sisters and even our diocesan seminarians!

After some time at home each one of them is joining one of our Missions for a couple of weeks. Dominic Mhlongo and Gcina Ngubane are at Ubombo with Fr Nkosi, Khethani Manqele is at Hlabisa with Fr Msweli and Fr Phoseka and Bhungane Radebe is at Ingwavuma with Fr V. Mthembu.