Joy and Hope

The fourth Sunday of Lent is also known as Laetare Sunday – the Sunday of Joy. It coincides with the Jubilee of the Missionaries of Mercy taking place this weekend in Rome, the sixth of the major events of the current Holy Year. The Missionaries of Mercy are a group of confessors commissioned by Pope Francis during the last Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy of 2016 with a special task of bringing the joy of God’s forgiveness to a world in need of reconciliation.

There is a striking phrase in the gospel for Laetare Sunday this year, uttered by the Prodigal Son (cf. Lk 15:11-32), “I will arise and go to my Father”.  This follows, if you like, a sincere examination of conscience and a moment of inner conversion. Having come to his senses, “he arose and came to his father”. This is what Lent is all about – returning to the merciful Father. Just as the Lord God took away “the reproach of Egypt” from the Chosen People (cf. Jos 5:9-12), so He takes away our shame in the sacrament of Confession, lifting us up so that we may participate at the 'banquet of the reconciled' as children of God. The Church continues Christ’s mission of mercy, and in this Lenten Season “it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God” (cf. 2 Cor 5:17-21).

Springtime in the Eternal City

Arise and go – isn’t this the project of the Holy Year? Many have been wondering whether the Jubilee would continue while the Pope recovers from his recent illness. There is also uncertainty whether the Pope would preside over the Holy Week ceremonies. Yet every day hundreds of pilgrims arise and go through the Holy Door as if returning to the Father. This is why Pope Francis has encouraged the Missionaries of Mercy in a written message to bear witness to the paternal face of God, infinitely great in love, who calls everyone to conversion and constantly renews us with His forgiveness.

Staying, then, with the image from today’s parable for our reflection at the half-way mark of Lent 2025, perhaps we could ask ourselves which are the doors that still need opening? As we reflect on our lives as Christians, what are the things which prevent us from opening ourselves up to the great love of God? Do I arise and go to Holy Mass more frequently? Have I opened the door to reconciliation through Confession? Have I been able to open the door of my heart, in love for God and my neighbour, with more intense prayer, fasting and works of mercy? An honest look at our Lenten journey could, in fact, fill us with hope. When sin seems to be holding us back, we should have the courage to arise and go!

This is also the time in which the catechumens are preparing more intensely to enter the Church through that door to the sacraments, baptism, and so take on a new life in Christ at Easter. Together we arise and go towards the coming Easter celebrations, carrying “the joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the men and women of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted” (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 1).

 

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

30 March 2025

Pray. Hope. Don't worry.

It seems like we're having a longer winter in Rome this year. But braving the elements, many of the faithful have been gathering on the evenings of this week in St Peter's Square to pray the Rosary together for the good health and well-being of Pope Francis who has been hospitalised since February 14. This came after a rather intense start to the Holy Year. Despite his health challenges, the 88-year-old Pontiff kept up with his usual work and the special Jubilee audiences until he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection which required complete bed rest:

Among the hundreds of well-wishers, many priests, religious and seminarians studying in Rome have been joining the Cardinals, collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, to share in a moment of intense prayer for Pope Francis. 21h00 is prime study-time for many of us. But somehow, we feel compelled to respond to this call to prayer.

Under the watchful gaze of the Mother of the Church:
Cardinal Parolin leads the faithful
in the recitation of the Holy Rosary for Pope Francis
 (Photo: Vatican Media)

At times, the media has levelled a seemingly progressive Pope Francis against the seemingly regressive "millennial" clergy, creating an imaginary disconnect between the Pope and younger priests. But if you are privy to our conversations at the dinner table, you'd quickly realise that this is far from the truth. In fact, at least in our missionary colleges, where most of us hail from the so-called "new churches", the Argentine Pope represents the unity and universality of the Church which is experienced in a unique way here in Rome. 

Anyone who has faced the declining health of a grandparent which comes with the burden of old age, would be moved by the situation of our Holy "Grandfather" Francis. The often-short updates from the Holy See Press Office on the Pope's condition has had everyone on edge. So, one can imagine that this is a moment of great suffering for Pope Francis but also a moment of profound spirituality. It is thus a moving experience to stay close to him in prayer at this time. After all, the Pope has never missed an opportunity to invite the faithful to pray for him. 

A pope carries with him the concern for all the churches, offering personal prayer and sacrifices for the flock of Christ, while encouraging the brethren. We are now living through a moment of grace in which we can all join in a chain of intercessory prayer for our Holy Father. Of course, every day the whole Church prays for the Pope wherever the Holy Mass is offered. In a special way, during this Jubilee Year, a prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father accompanies our spiritual exercises, adding a different dimension for the pilgrims passing through the Holy Doors of the Papal Basilicas in these days. We remain, therefore, pilgrims of hope.

Perhaps the sentiments of Padre Pio express the faith of all those who are keeping vigil with Pope Francis: "Pray, hope and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer"!

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

26 February 2025

Live Hope. Together.

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, at the close of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, St John Paul II invited all the faithful to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm, and to look forward to the future with confidence. This sentiment can be summarised by the key word of the present Jubilee – hope.

Living the present with enthusiasm: The first month of the Jubilee Year in Rome and in the local churches has certainly reignited a sense of hope. Hope is alive in the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life who have been descending upon the Eternal City to pass through the Holy Door. Pilgrims of hope never journey alone. Hope is therefore alive in the Christian communities around the world singing the same Jubilee Hymn in their local languages. Between the two Jubilees of the Third Millenium, these are concrete responses to the invitation to live hope together.

Inauguration of the Jubilee Year
in the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa
(Lisa Faith Fotography)

Those following the Jubilee events in Rome via social media would have discovered that a special Jubilee Audience with the Pope takes place every Saturday, in addition to the weekly Wednesday General Audience. This gives pilgrims an opportunity to reflect together with the Holy Father on the theme of hope. The first major event of the Jubilee took place last weekend, around the Sunday of the Word of God, for all those involved in Communication, an invitation to live and communicate hope even in the digital world. 

Remembering the past with gratitude: This event coincided with the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18-25 January). During this annual event, the 1700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea was recalled which took place in the year 325 and which approved the Creed. Later this year, the Church will also recall the anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Nicaea was concerned with the content of the one true faith, in the one Lord of all, based on the one baptism (cf. Eph 4:5-6). Vatican II was concerned with living this faith in the modern world as the pilgrim people of God.

Looking forward to the future with confidence: Perhaps what both of these monumental councils have in common is the theme of unity among Christians, especially the churches of the West and the East. Without going into the history of the rifts in the unity of the Church, it is best to recall the efforts made towards Christian Unity since Vatican II. Providentially, in this Holy Year, all Christians can live hope together in the celebration of Easter on a common date, in both the Gregorian and Julian Calendars, followed and West and East respectively. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is, after all, the foundation of our faith. In Christ, we continue to pray that they may all be one (cf. Jn 17:20).

Could we once again live as common witnesses of hope? Recalling today the martyrdom of South Africa’s first blessed, Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa, have you reflected on the models of hope in your life? Like all the Christian martyrs, Daswa was ready to give an account of the hope that was within him (1 Peter 3:15-17). May he inspire both young and old to keep the flame of hope alive throughout the Jubilee Year.

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

1 February 2025 

Memorial of Blessed Benedict Daswa

The Hope of Forgiveness

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, by now all the Holy Doors have been opened in Rome. Like the Magi, guided by a star to Bethlehem to worship the Messiah, we continue our journey through this Holy Year guided by Christian hope. Here’s how you can participate more fully in this period of renewal and obtain the Jubilee Indulgence, wherever you are:

Pardon and reconciliation is the aim of the Holy Year. For Catholics, penance is a path which leads us to an encounter with the mercy of God. Passing through the Holy Door is seen as a step towards forgiveness and healing. In Lent last year, a conference was held in Rome for recently ordained priests, in preparation for the Jubilee Year, with an emphasis on the correct and generous administration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). This took place at the Apostolic Penitentiary, which is the Vatican’s “Court of Mercy”, responsible for matters relating to the “Internal Forum” and the granting Indulgences, intimately connected to the effects of penance. God has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church (cf. 2 Cor 5: 18-21).

The Holy Door of St Peter's Basilica, Rome

Indulgences: An indulgence is the remission of temporal punishment as a result of sins committed but already confessed. Sin has its consequences, both for the individual and the community. That is why we confess our sins to a priest, who acts as an ambassador of Christ, and represents the Church, assigning a penance to the penitent in the confessional, as part of the satisfaction for sins. We should never doubt that we are forgiven in Confession. Atoning for our sins, which we have confessed, takes place either in this life or in Purgatory, through penance. Fulfilling one's penance means taking responsbility for the consequences of one's sinful acts, trusting in the loving Lord, in whom justice and mercy meet. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC, nn. 1471-1479) explains Indulgences in reference to the merits of Christ and the saints: 'An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints’ (n. 1471).

Indulgences, which are free, can be applied to the living and the dead, and are received by those truly sorrowful, inspiring works of mercy within them. Of course, we cannot deny the controversy surrounding Indulgences given the abuses and misconceptions of the past. In the lingua of the Jubilee, we could try to understand Indulgences as the sure hope of forgiveness. The normal way to obtain an Indulgence is detachment from all sin, sacramental confession, the reception of Holy Communion and the prayer for the intentions of the Pope (usually an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be). Indulgences are either Partial or Plenary, as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin. Indulgences are associated with certain devotions, such as the First Friday, as well as the observance of certain feasts, and in particular, the Jubilee Year.

"Crossing the Threshold of Hope"
6 January 2025 

The Jubilee Indulgence: Coinciding with the official announcement of the Holy Year 2025, a decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary set out the norms for obtaining the Jubilee Indulgence, a plenary indulgence:

Pilgrimages: to Rome, at least one of the four major basilicas; to the Holy Land; or to other ecclesiastical areas such as a cathedral, some church or sacred place designated by the bishop for the Jubilee; the plenary indulgence can be obtained here in the usual way.

Pious Visits to Sacred Places: like a designated Jubilee site in Rome or in other places of the world (in Italy, Assisi, Loreto, Pompei, Padua; or any minor basilica, cathedral church, co-cathedral church or Marian Shrine). Here the pilgrim should spend some time in Eucharistic adoration and meditation, concluding with the Our Father, Profession of Faith and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Works of Mercy and Penance: the fruit of penance, and indeed the Jubilee Indulgence, is mercy. Noting the penitential character of Fridays, the Vatican has encouraged the faithful to carry out the traditional corporal and spiritual works of mercy (cf. Mt 25:31-45). We can recall here the words of Mother Teresa, the Saint of Calcutta, ‘At the end of our life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in”’. Hope produces charity in the hearts of those who have obtained the grace of God’s forgiveness, 'bearing fruit that will last' (Jn 15:16).

Fasting: In the age of social media, the faithful are encouraged to fast at least one day of the week from "futile distractions" (such as social media, television, video games, certain phone apps). Holy Year challenge accepted?!

Diocesan or parish jubilee events: participating in spiritual exercises, missions, or formation activities based on the documents of the Second Vatican Council or the CCC. This brings the Jubilee into our local churches and parish communities.

Indulgences can be applied to the faithful departed, in particular the holy souls in purgatory, who died in the hope of the resurrection. Having confessed their sins, they are undergoing a period of purification before entering fully into the beatific vision and everlasting communion with God. Since we believe in the “Communion of Saints”, we can help them with our prayers and sacrifices, just as Our Lady and the saints assist us with their prayers before the throne of God in heaven. In the Jubilee Year, a double indulgence is granted per day, when a second act of charity is carried out on behalf of the souls in purgatory, for the faithful who, receiving Holy Communion, apply it to the deceased.

This is how the CCC summaries the Church's teaching on the practice and application of Indulgences: ‘The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man"’ (CCC 1473). The decree on the Jubilee Indulgences, then, brings together all the major themes of a Holy Year: Pilgrimage (to designated sacred places), the Holy Door (in Rome), Reconciliation (Confession), Prayer (for the Holy Father's Intentions), Liturgy (especially the Eucharist), the Profession of Faith (the Apostles Creed), and Indulgences (which leads to Charity). 

In the Diocese of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where the Holy Year will be solemnly inaugurated on Friday, 10 January 2025, Bishop Zungu has designated the following places of pilgrimage for the Jubilee: St Augustine’s Cathedral and St Luke’s Retreat Centre in the deanery of Port Elizabeth; Immaculate Conception and St Pius Retreat Centre in the deanery of East London; Sacred Heart on Albert Street in Qonce, St Patrick’s in Makhanda and the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven in Sommerset East for Border/Midlands deaneries respectively.

The Jubilee Indulgence, then, can be obtained by those who may not be able to make a pilgrimage to Rome or pass through the Holy Doors here. It is, after all, a year of hope for all the faithful. By simply and sincerely making recourse to the treasures of our faith, a door of hope is opened to all.

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

6 January 2025

The Epiphany of the Lord

A Christmas of Hope

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, the Holy Year 2025 was solemnly inaugurated with the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, the reason for our hope:

Like many of you, I watched the Opening of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica (the first of the five doors of the Jubilee Year to be opened) live from Northern Italy, where I am assisting at a parish with the ministry of reconciliation (Confessions) and other pastoral activities which formed part of their preparations for Christmas and the New Year, and indeed, for the Holy Year.

I was struck by the aura of silence and the expectation of the pilgrims of hope who filed into the Basilica, prayerfully listening to the messianic prophecies of old, which set the tone for this Christmas of Hope. It seemed like the word hope was on the minds of all, and perhaps also the wonder with which the poor and lowly Shepherds made their way to the grotto of Bethlehem for that first Christmas (cf. Lk 2:15-20). 

Seeing the visuals of St Peter's Square, I could just imagine how cold it must've been. The newly installed lights, in time for the Jubilee, spoke of the light which hope brings to a darkened world, leading from the Piazza into the Via Conciliazione, and from there, to the city and to the world. Christ, our hope, has been born for us. There is hope for his flock scattered throughout the world. This hope is not some illusion but rather concrete, it has a name and a face, the Lord Jesus. St John the Evangelist, who gave us the language to speak about the mystery of the Word made flesh, puts it this way: 

‘What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life - for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us - what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ’ (1 John 1: 1-3).

The inaugurating ceremony preceding the Christmas Eve Mass, was simple, yet rich with symbolism typical of the Roman liturgy. The Gospel of John 10:7-10 where Jesus declares, ‘I am the door”, seemed appropriate for that long-anticipated moment. Jesus is the door of salvation and the Church, the universal sacrament of salvation, is open to all, signified in a powerful way by the opening of the Holy Door at one of the most famous basilicas of Rome. Despite his mobility challenges, Pope Francis became the first pilgrim to cross the threshold of hope, opening the Holy Door and thus solemnly initiating the Ordinary Jubilee 2025, a time of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Opening of the Holy Door
Photo Courtesy of Vatican News

The image of the Pope in front of the Holy Door in a wheelchair will remain iconic. In his first message of the Jubilee, the Pope spoke boldly about Christian hope: ‘With the opening of the Holy Door we have inaugurated a new Jubilee, and each of us can enter into the mystery of this extraordinary event. Tonight, the door of hope has opened wide to the world. Tonight, God speaks to each of us and says: there is hope also for you! There is hope for each of us’. 

The Holy Father also explained what the Jubilee is really about, reiterating the plea which he made in the Bull of Indiction: ‘The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us to the transformation of our world, so that this year may truly become a time of jubilation. A jubilee for our mother Earth, disfigured by profiteering; a time of jubilee for the poorer countries burdened beneath unfair debts; a time of jubilee for all those who are in bondage to forms of slavery old and new’. 

The Pope continued his homily dedicated to the theme of the Jubilee by declaring: ‘This is our hope. God is Emmanuel, God-with-us. The infinitely great has made himself tiny; divine light has shone amid the darkness of our world; the glory of heaven has appeared on earth. And how? As a little child. If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever. Hope does not disappoint’!

It is providential that the Opening of the Holy Door was followed by the Holy Mass. At every Eucharist, Jesus, who humbled himself to be born in a stable, humbly descends onto the Altar, in the form of bread and wine, giving us hope for eternal life. St Francis of Assisi, who created the first Nativity Scene, was inspired by this sentiment and overwhelmed by this mystery. And this is why we celebrate the “Christ-Mass”. 

At the Holy Mass at Dawn on Christmas Day, I asked the Congregation to pray for all those who have lost hope...those who cannot see beyond the darkness of night to a bright new dawn; to think of the many people, especially children, who went to bed the previous evening not knowing whether they would survive the night; for those whom a day of celebration would be filled with suffering as a result of war, in this world of sin and strife, a world hungry for justice and peace, which only Christ can bring.

For the first time ever, in the 700-year tradition of Jubilee Years, a Holy Door was opened at Rebibbia prison, the largest in Italy, on St Stephen's Day (26 December). Donning a red cope, Pope Francis got up from his wheelchair and actually walked through the Holy Door of the prison chapel, later explaining the significance of this gesture – hope, like an anchor, is for everyone. 

In the coming days the remaining three doors will be opened by the Archpriests of the Papal Basilicas of St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul outside the Walls. I am looking forward to passing through at least one of them in order to obtain the Jubilee Indulgence (which I wish to explore in my next blog entry). 

With open doors, and open hearts filled with compassion, every day can be a "little Christmas", bringing hope and joy to the world!

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

27 December 2024 

Feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist

Cry Hope!

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, a reflection on the “Great O Antiphons” as we continue our countdown to the Jubilee 2025:

Liturgically, we are moving into the second part of Advent (17-23 December). By now you may have noticed that the first part of this season focussed on the end of time, when Christ will come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead. Over the next seven days, the focus will be on the first coming of Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem.

The Nativity Scene at the Vatican 2024
From Grado, a Lagoon Centre
in the province of Gorizia

Following an ancient tradition, the Church prepares in earnest for the Nativity of Our Lord with the “O Antiphons” (taking its name from the first word of the antiphons). It is most commonly found in the Advent Hymn appropriate for this time, "O come, o come, Emmanuel". You may also encounter these invocations in some format as the Gospel Acclamation at Mass every day this week. The “O Antiphons” are used in their original form by those who recite the Liturgy of the Hours, during Vespers (Evening Prayer), with the singing of the Magnificat, which was Our Lady’s song of praise to God, who had remembered his mercy (cf. Luke 1:46-55).

In a similar way, the “O Antiphons” bring together the hope of all the ages. These antiphons capture the longing for salvation of the People of God, by making reference to some Old Testament Messianic hopes, like that of Isaiah (11:1-3),

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse…on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is his delight.

The “O Antiphons”, ever ancient, ever new, also express the deepest longings and desires of our own time, helping us to join that cry of the Church echoed throughout the ages, Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Try repeating these antiphons quietly even outside the Liturgy, in a prayerful and meditative way, as part of your personal prayer this Advent, and discover again the reason for the season. In this way, we would be making a pilgrimage of hope to Christmas, as we await the birth of the Saviour, who always remains true to his promises.

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

17 December 2024

----------------------------------------

The “O Antiphons”

Taken from https://www.usccb.org/prayers/o-antiphons-advent

 

December 17

O Sapientia!

O Wisdom of our God Most High,

guiding creation with power and love:

come to teach us the path of knowledge!

December 18

O Adonai! 

O Leader of the House of Israel,

giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:

come to rescue us with your mighty power!

 

December 19

O Radix Jesse!

O Root of Jesse’s stem,

sign of God’s love for all his people:

come to save us without delay!

 

December 20

O Clavis David!

O Key of David,

opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:

come and free the prisoners of darkness!

 

December 21

O Oriens!

O Radiant Dawn,

splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:

come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.

 

December 22

O Rex Gentium! 

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:

come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

 

December 23

O Emmanuel!

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:

come to save us, Lord our God!

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

175 Years of Hope

Dear Pilgrims of Hope, I thought I’d interrupt my planned series of reflections on the upcoming Holy Year, to pay tribute to a special group of women religious, the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption.

Today marks 175 years since the arrival of the first group of nuns on South African soil, under the leadership of the 27-year-old Sr Gertrude de Henningsen (Read more about Mother Gertrude and the MSA, in the November Southern Cross). They were part of a rather new Congregation, the Religious of the Assumption, which had been founded 10 years earlier in Paris, France, by St Marie Eugenie. Their charism was the education of young girls while rebuilding the church following the French Revolution. Destined for Grahamstown (now Makhanda), where they would arrive on 15 December 1849, they became pioneering missionaries, having accepted the invitation of Bishop Aidan Devereux of the Eastern Vicariate of the Cape of Good Hope (now the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, Gqeberha). This was a rural farming district, culturally volatile and on the brink of a territorial war. The brave Sr Getrude decided to remain in Grahamstown against all odds. The Congregation would eventually break away from their Order in France, becoming the Missionary Sisters of the Assumption (MSA); their motto, “Thy Kingdom Come”. Mother Getrude is said to have encouraged the steady growing Congregation to give themselves unreservedly to God, becoming a docile instrument in his hands.

Crest of the MSA
(Courtesy: MSA Facebook)

Roughly 200 years before their arrival, the practice of the Catholic faith in South Africa had been prohibited successively under Dutch and British colonial rule. Now that the Catholic Church had been emancipated in the Netherlands, England and Ireland, and consequently in South Africa, the MSA came to support the local Catholics joining the missionary fervour of those early bishops and priests who were set on establishing the church here. They went on from their humble beginnings in Grahamstown to establish schools and provide health care in other parts of the diocese, as well as other parts of the country and even beyond, moving, as it were, along the route which the evangelising mission was tracing on the southern-most tip of Africa.

It is here where their connection with Schauderville deserves a mention. Following the displacement of many communities as a result of the Group Areas Act in the 1950s, the MSA moved into what would become the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. In fact, they were part of “Schauder Township” from its inception even before the church of St James was built. You can imagine the difficulties experienced by a group of mainly Irish women living among the people under the draconian Apartheid rule. They adopted a policy of non-discrimination, serving all people despite their race, class or creed. They served the community with devotion until they relinquished the convent to the expanding St Teresa’s Primary School. Together with St James High School, it stands as a testimony of their contribution to education in our country.

One should also acknowledge the role which our Diocese played in the expansion of religious life in the local church. Shortly after the arrival of the MSA, Bishop Devereux invited the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, who went on to evangelise large parts of the country. Later, Bishop Ricards would invite the Trappists (and perhaps even the Jesuits) to Dunbrody near Addo, who became the Mariannhill Missionaries under Abbot Franz Pfanner. Other Congregations of women religious, like the Dominicans, would follow suite. The group from Augsburg, Germany, would become the King Williams Town Dominicans. These were all missionaries of hope. 

I stumbled across a Mass of Thanksgiving live from St Augustine’s Cathedral while scrolling through Facebook a few of weeks ago. One of the sisters was sharing how Sr Gerturde and her companions gave thanks to God in that very place following a difficult journey of three months by sea. This is itself an image of the Church setting out on mission in the world, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the ends of the earth (cf. Mt 28:16ff). 

Some of the Sisters following the
Mass of Thanksgiving
(Courtesy: St Augustine's PE Facebook)

The MSA have always been a relatively small Congregation. Under the patronage of Our Lady assumed into heaven, they have adapted to the changes facing religious life today, opening the way for local vocations. They offer us a lasting example of faith and perseverance as we live out our own mission of hope in an age of despair.

 

The Pilgrim

Fr Runaine James Radine

3 December 2024

Memorial of St Francis Xavier, Co-Patron of Mission