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Diocese of
Keimoes-Upington Bisdom van Keimoes-Upington |
Welcome |
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Patrons: The Immaculate Conception & St. Francis de Sales |
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www.catholic-keimoes.org.za |
rckeimoes@catholic-keimoes.org.za |
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Suffragan Diocese of the Province of Bloemfontein - Republic of South Africa |
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Welcome to the web page of the Diocese of
Keimoes-Upington. I hope that through this means we will have the chance to get
to know each other and that one day you will have the chance to come to
discover that the desert which comprises most of our diocese has a life of its
own.
One of the patrons of the diocese is St. Francis de
Sales. The pioneer missionaries in this diocese were devoted to making known
St. Francis de Sales' way of living the Gospel. Here are some of his words with
which you are welcomed:
"Wandel altyd naby God, want die sagmoedigheid (streling) van sy skadu is meer heilsaam as die helderheid van die son"
"The same life-giving Father
who cares for you today, will tomorrow and each day take care of you. He will
preserve you in suffering and he will give you his unfailing strength to endure
it."
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE – December 2011--- KERSBOODSKAP – Desember 2011
Die einde van nog ʼn jaar! Ek dank u almal wat
saam met my deel van die Bisdom Keimoes-Upington is en wat die Bisdom onderhou
deur hul samewerking. Ek dink eerstens aan en dank elkeen van ons priesters vir
hul onbaatsugtige werk. Ons maak foute en daar is altyd leemtes maar ʼn
mens kan dit nie aarsel nie dat ons priesters het alles prys gegee met baie min
verwagting om iets wêrelds terug te kry. Ons dank hulle vir hul getrouheid om
u, die Here se volk, te bedien.
Ek dank u almal wat u samewerking vir ons preisters
gegee het in die parogies waar u bly en in besonders die kosbare diens van
kategete en hul toewyding aan ons kinders en jong mense in die groei in die
geloof.
Ek dink aan u wat ouers en groot ouers is. Dit is ook ʼn
kosbare bediening wat u as kerklede uitvoer. Die Kerk het toegewyde ouers nodig
net soos toegewyde priesters en kloosterlinge nodig is. Die Kerstyd is ʼn
spesiale tyd om die familie lewe te hernu en vir dié rede het ek hierdie
kersprent uitgekies. Dis my gebed en wens dat u-elkeen ʼn nuwe poging sal
maak om hierdie kers-seisoen u familie verhoudings te hernieu en te versterk.
Ek was grootgemaak met die familie leuse dat die gesin
wat saambid, bly altyd saam. Probeer om daagliks iets as gesin te doen. Die
gesinsgebedlewe is van uiterste belang vir die kerk se lewe.
Ek wil ook vra dat u weereens vrymoedig sal wees om
vir my iets te gee deur die Advent kollekte.
Hoe sal ek die Here vergoed vir al sy weldade aan my?
Met ʼn dankoffer sal ek van my redding getuig en
die Naam van die Here aanroep. Psalm 116:12-13
Mag God u-almal seën met ʼn vredevol Kersfees en
met voorspoed vir die Nuwe Jaar.
U Biskop.
Christmas Letter
2011
This year started
with floods – not that we had much rain – the Orange came down in full spate
from the interior and the water remained high for many months.
When Murphy’s law
is applied - what CAN happen WILL happen – then one should not be surprised to
find that the very year that the widening of the narrow single-way bridges over
the Orange River at Keimoes was planned to begin, was the very year that the river
remained so high and for so long that work could not get started. But then,
Murphy was an optimist! Because he believed that something will happen.
The high water
caused much inconvenience and for nearly three weeks it meant that a short 4 km
drive over tar roads became a 100 km detour over badly maintained dirt roads.
But life must go on. Like the Saturday morning the road at Kakamas was closed
off because of the river, the people waded across with the water waste high and
the children on their shoulders. That bridge was dry – it was never under water
– it was the road, once over the bridge, that was
flooded because it dipped below the high-water level. The police vehicle
remained parked in the middle of the bridge to warn motorists not to go further
and the police woman slept in the back seat. She had obviously been there most
of the night. When I intimated that the people were enjoying themselves
crossing the river she retorted that she hoped they would all drown.
The civil
authorities were good and people marooned on the many islands of the river were
rescued, or, if they could not leave because of livestock, received regular
food and water. At least the people were cared for but as for the bills – well
that took much longer for the authorities to settle. And then one need to remember that the municipal elections followed soon
afterwards.
It was also a year
when two of the giants of our diocese – and the last of our French missionaries
- passed on to their eternal reward in fulfilment of the words of Revelation
14:13 – “Blessed are they who die in the Lord; let them rest from their works
because their good deeds will follow them.”
Fr. Malery who lived and ministered in Pella from 1951 till his
retirement in 1998, and remained on in Pella till his death in September one
month after his 92nd birthday. Thanks God he enjoyed relatively good
health till the day that he went out like a candle in the early houses of that
evening when the Lord came to fetch him. It is always a worry for me how to
care for elderly people in our environment where medical facilities and
opportunities are the barest minimum. I asked the old man on his 92nd
birthday what I should do if he got sick and needed to be hospitalised. He said
I was not to worry, it would all work out. And it did with perfect timing. When
they found his lifeless body on the bed the following morning, there was his
file on the floor next to his bed with all his papers and his last will and
testament. He was in his right mind
right to that last private moment of his passing.
Fr. Bientz, one of the legends of the diocese, died on the
feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, to whom he was very devoted. He
recognised me the moment I approached his bedside, three weeks before his
death, and he asked for the anointing. I knew that he had already been anointed
three times and so I took his request lightly at first thinking that he had
perhaps forgotten that he had already been anointed. But NO, he was serious: he
wanted the bishop to anoint him which I did once the oils had been brought to
me. Throughout his life, in true French tradition, he had been the life of the
diocese, had served as vicar general of the diocese for some time and provincial
of the local Oblates of Francis de Sales at other times, the founder of the
Chiro in the diocese which became a dynamic youth movement. He always made time
for everyone, would listen to anyone who came to him and remained faithful to all
in sincere friendship.
Both Frs. Malery and Bientz were noted for
their love for the poor and at both funerals there came people who remembered
them for having been a father and a friend. Both of them were pastorally
innovative and had an innate appreciation for the role of the laity whom they
served. Schools and catechesis preoccupied them as they were concerned for
children and their upbringing. May they rest in peace and may their good
example inspire us who remain on in the service of the Lord’s people.
Sister Ann Raphael,
not old, my age, who had nursed Fr. Bientz, died the
day after his funeral and again we gathered to say farewell at the graveside.
This time, unlike with the older priests, Sr. Anne Raphael’s family – and they
are a big Upington family - were in mourning and we supported one another in
our grief. She was ‘Sister-fix-it’ and she was never reticent in getting down
to getting things fixed up even if it meant telling the bishop a thing or two.
May she rest in peace in the company of both St. Francis de Sales and St. Leoni Aviat to whom she was very
devoted.
One of our young
priests was delivered this year from a very pernicious form of cancer. The
diocese all joined in prayer asking for his healing at the intercession of our
founding bishop, Bishop Simon. After six months of chemo-therapy which was
marked by a dramatic worsening of his condition half-way through, he was
declared ‘clean’ and we continue to pray and ask God for his continued health.
Such unexpected things
prove that the diocese does not have financial resources to cope and for the
first eight months of the year the bank supported us with overdraft facilities.
Thanks to those who came to our aid and helped us pull through financially.
After so much sickness, death and financial struggle I look back with thanks
because God was in it all and St. Therese played her part.
There is talk of
new financial developments in our area after so many years of seeing one mine
or other project close down one after the other. It seems serious business now
that the airport is to be developed as a main cargo-hub for the region. It
seems that is the main reason behind the widening of roads and bridges.
Developing sun farms for supplying for South Africa’s energy needs has also
started to get under way. But the economic life remains very fragile for our
people and most of them engage only in seasonal activity when it is time to
harvest the grapes and the cotton and wheat. There was a great demand on my
time and energy this year from the side of the Bishops’ Conference. I was
involved with the team looking after the implementation of the new English
edition of the Roman Missal. This meant a second trip to Nairobi so as to
fulfil our part in the initiative of launching a truly African edition of the
Roman Missal. It is good to have worked with so many others throughout the African
Continent. At home, I was part of a team of bishops and others who finalised
the teaching document started some four years ago on life values and sexual
ethics. That took many hours of reading and re-reading the text before it was
finally left in the hands of the five archbishops to publish. It was a very
satisfying to experience the support of so many people who kept on encouraging
us to complete the project. There were also many who did not agree on many of
the things which we wrote into the document.
There was a great
demand on my time and energy this year from the side of the Bishops’ Conference.
I was involved with the team looking after the implementation of the new
English edition of the Roman Missal. This meant a second trip to Nairobi so as
to fulfil our part in the initiative of launching a truly African edition of
the Roman Missal. It is good to have worked with so many others throughout the
African Continent. At home, I was part of a team of bishops and others who
finalised the teaching document started some four years ago on life values and
sexual ethics. That took many hours of reading and re-reading the text before
it was finally left in the hands of the five archbishops to publish. It was a
very satisfying to experience the support of so many people who kept on
encouraging us to complete the project. There were also many who did not agree
on many of the things which we wrote into the document.
Ah! I ordained
three priests this year. What a joy! I thank God for the generosity of these young
men who put themselves forward out of love for God. I know for sure that they
will discover that God is always faithful and there is never a shortage on his
part. But may they continue to be generous in giving of themselves in the
varying circumstances of life in which they will find themselves.
I make the same
prayer for all of you who read this Christmas letter. We are celebrating the
birthday of Jesus who so loved the world that, at his Father’s behest - because
the Father so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son – who became
man and came to live among us. As I have said above, we have seen his GLORY and
I pray that in the new year ahead you again see the GLORY of the only begotten
of the Father, filled with grace and truth.
Please make
contact with us through our e-mail address:
rckeimoes@catholic-keimoes.org.za
Every blessing on you and your family and friends.
+Edward Risi omi
Bishop
[Home] [Welcome] [Map & History of the Diocese] [Administration] [Necrology] [Diary] [Schools] [Parishes] [Clergy] [Days of Prayer, Collections, etc.]
[Bishop's Coat of Arms & Photo] [Institutions &
Religious Houses]
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