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August 17 to August 23, 2011
R5,50 (incl VAT RSA) Reg No. 1920/002058/06
Diocese kicks off new programme
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SA man behind Catholic care at London Olympics BY CLAIRE MATHIESON
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“Here’s your new bishop!” Bishop Dabula Anthony Mpako is presented to the faithful after his episcopal ordination in Queenstown’s Christ the King cathedral. Bishop Mpako, former vicar-general of the Pretoria archdiocese, was ordained by Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria, assisted by Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town and Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha, Fr MATTHIAS NSAMBA reports. The Eastern Cape diocese had been vacant since the resignation of Bishop Herbert Lenhof in November 2009 due to bad health. Many bishops, priests, religious and lay people came despite the cold weather to witness the occasion and pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the new bishop and his diocese. Archbishop Slattery acknowledged the pastoral skills of Bishop Mpako, who had been at the forefront in the pastoral renewal programmes in Pretoria. Archbishop Brislin welcomed the newly ordained bishop to “the club” of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He also praised the hard work for more than 25 years of Bishop Lenhof, who now lives in Germany. In his maiden speech Bishop Mpako assured the faithful of Queenstown that he is fully available for them. He asked for respect and love for one another. Bishop Mpako’s episcopal motto is “Veni Creator Spiritus” (“Come, Creator Spirit” or “Yiza Moya ongumdali”), which is also the earnest prayer of the people of Queenstown as a new chapter in the diocese’s history begins. (Photo: Mathibela Sebothoma)
ORN and raised in Pretoria, 23-yearold Frank van Velzen is preparing for the next Olympic Games in London to bring faith to the international event. A former Mount Edmund Christian Brothers College learner, Mr van Velzen went on to study at the University of Pretoria where he gained a degree in urban planning. However, “I was unable to find a job and therefore decided to do a short stint of work at the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference,” Mr van Velzen said. This was the same time the World Cup was taking place in the country. Mr van Velzen met the Catholic coordinator of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, James Parker, who was in South Africa to assess the ways in which the Church was engaging the football fever. “Shortly after meeting him, I applied to do two years voluntary work over here in London,” he told The Southern Cross. Mr van Velzen works for the Catholic 2012 Office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. He said he is involved in a “wide range of work in many of the Catholic schools, giving talks about the link between faith and sport, the dignity of the human body, and the relevance of faith in society”. The office is currently planning various projects in the lead up to and including the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. According to Mr van Velzen, the office is planning hospitality centres, a mini World Youth Day, a tented village for 1 200 young people, as well as a sports mission. “We will also be having 24-hour exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for the duration of the Games at St Francis parish in Stratford, less than 200m away from the main Olympic Site.” The office will also work alongside a inter-denominational Christian organisation called “More Than Gold”, who have been approved by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) to provide outreach, service and hospitality for the Games. “The More Than Gold brand has been in
Pretoria-born Frank van Velzen is preparing to help bring faith to the Olympic Games 2012 in London through his work with the Catholic bishops’ conference of England and Wales, which is cooperating with other denominations to provide pastoral care at next year’s games. existence since the 1996 Atlanta Games, but this is an historic occasion as it is the first time that the Catholic Church is using an international sporting event to preach the Gospel,” Mr van Velzen said. “LOCOG are building a multi-faith centre on the main Olympic site, and we’ll have 18 Catholic chaplains who will be available to provide spiritual support and guidance for the athletes, coaches and officials for the duration of the Games,” Mr van Velzen said. At the same time, a legacy project launched by Pope Benedict will take place. The John Paul II Foundation for Sport was launched during the papal visit to Britain last September. Mr van Velzen said the ecumenical partnership in Britain is proactive and progressive, with 20 denominations “working hand in hand through More Than Gold”. He added that it has been surprising and exciting that “we Catholics have not had to dumb down our message but rather, as we engage with Christians of other denominations, we have had many opportunities to talk through with non-Catholics the deeper questions about Christianity that Catholicism can answer and that Protestantism cannot”. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games will be shrouded in faith, the expatriate said. And should South Africa ever be granted another major international sporting event, then “I believe we have something to gain by attempting to work in partnership with other Christians,” Mr van Velzen said. If that opportunity arises, he said, he will want to be involved again.
Enthusiastic youths wear Hope&Joy close to their hearts STAFF REPORTER
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HE youth of Secunda and Evander parishes, Dundee diocese, are going to wear the Hope&Joy logo close to their hearts—even on matric 2011 jerseys. Parish priest Fr Gerald Gostling says that gradually all of the church’s youth will have a Hope&Joy T-shirt. All the catechumens of the parish have Hope&Joy cards already, and the programme is the theme of the catechism curriculum. “The way we are trying to use the theme is to help one another to identify ‘Hope and Joy’ happenings which witness to the ‘Church in the modern world’, in a real and concrete way,” Fr Gostling said. “For example, many of our youth help repair and paint shacks for our orphans. Even more sometimes—in June, during the holidays,
they dismantled and rebuilt a shack for three orphans.” Afterwards, the volunteers and neighbours come together to eat. “The youth see this as a Hope&Joy presence of the Lord, as every activity is also discerned in community prayer,” Fr Gostling said. The parish community also staged its twice-yearly “Spiritual Pilgrim Walk”, from Evander’s Christ the King church to Maria Consolata church in Embalenhle, under the Hope&Joy banner. “In the township, we pray and share, and minister to anyone who needs it, including the sick. The walk had the Hope&Joy theme and enthusiasm as we were ‘going out’—for our own spiritual nourishment and to share with whoever the Lord put across our path,” Fr Gostling said.
Young Catholics from Secunda and Evander parishes show their excitement about Hope&Joy, which provides the theme for the catechism curriculum and outreach projects. Matriculant Vincent Phiri Thomas of Nhlabathi Secondary School in eMbalenhle even sports the Hope&Joy logo on his matric 2011 jersey. (Photo courtesy of Fr Gerald Gostling)