Patron of Our Diocese
Our Lady Flight Into Egypt
Mary is honoured as the Chief Patron of our Diocese of Port Elizabeth. In accordance with the official liturgical Pastoral Guide it is therefore elevated to a solemnity (big feast) for the local church and celebrated on the Sunday that occurs on 4th February or between the 4th and 10th February each year.
Welcome to the Catholic Diocese of Port Elizabeth
As the Bishop of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa I would like to welcome you to our website. Whether you are a resident or a Visitor, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour!
It is my wish that this website will provide you with all the information you may require about our Diocese. You will also find links to other websites which may be of interest to you.
If you do not find what you are searching for, please do not hesitate to contact us HERE.
Please also tell your fellow parishioners about the website.
With sincere best wishes.
Bishop Vincent Mduduzi Zungu OFM
Bishop's Advent Message & Advent Appeal
Biskop se Advent Boodskap - Jaar C 2018
Ek is seker dat baie van ons dit ervaar het om by die bushalte of lughawe vir ‘n vriend, ‘n geliefde, ‘n gas, of ‘n spesiale persoon te wag. Na wat vir ons soos ‘n oneindige vertraging was, was ons baie bly toe die persoon by die Aankoms terminaal sy of haar verskyning gemaak het.
Ons vergeet hoe lank ons gewag het, hoe onrustig ons gevoel het, en ook hoe ongerieflik dit was. Ons emosies het ‘n ander storie vertel, dat ons lang wag darem maar belangrik, betekenisvol, en die moeite werd was. Net so, gedurende Advent vul die koms van die Here ons lewens met hoë verwagtinge, volop vreugde, liefde, hoop en ‘n sin van bestemming met die hoogtepunt tydens Kersfees.
St Lukas wie saam met ons die pad gestap het in ons besinning tydens die Sondae van Gewone Tyd, Jaarkring C, nooi ons vriendelik uit om te “wag en te bid” (Lk 21: 36). Gebed kan gedefineer word as die opheffing van die mens se gees en hart na God. Dit open ons oë tot God se teenwoordigheid, en dit help ons om alles in die regte perspektief te sien, en om vrede in ons harte te troetel, selfs te midde van ons probleme en pyn. Deur wag te staan, word ons uitgenooi om waaksaam te wees en om geestelike oorsig oor ons geloofslewe uit te oefen. Waaksaamheid vereis oordeelkundigheid waardeur ons bewus word van God se blywende teenwoordigheid in ons lewens, en dat ons kan onderskei tussen reg en verkeerd, wat goed en sleg is, en om die sedelike moed te hê om volgens Evangeliese waardes te leef.
“Oordeelkundigheid” Pous Franciskus dring daarop aan: “Ons het oordeelkundigheid ten alle tye nodig, om ons te help om God se tydrooster te erken, uit vrees dat ons die aansporing van sy genade nie in ag sal neem nie, en om sy uitnodiging om te groei sal verontagsaam.” Toepaslik, nooi die Heilige Vader ons uit, met die doel dat sy uitnodiging ons kan help om die Adventstyd paslik te kan vier, “Ek vra alle Christene om nie in hulle dialoog met die Here, te versuim om ‘n opregte daaglikse ‘gewetensondersoek’ (Gaudate et Exsultate, 109), te onderneem nie.
Op slot van sake, berei Advent ons voor vir die viering van die geboortefees van ons Here Jesus Christus, wat in die heilsgeskiedenis God se trouheid en ontsaglike liefde herroep. God het die wêreld so lief gehad dat Hy sy enigste Seun gegee het, sodat dié wat in Hom glo, nie verlore sal gaan nie. Dus, besit ons elke rede om in vreugdevolle hoop te lewe, vir die finale koms van ons Here Jesus Christus, om eens en vir altyd die Koninkryk van God te vestig.
“Hoop is ‘n belangrike deel van die lewe. Ons bestee ‘n groot deel van ons lewens deur te begeer, te wag, en om vir een of ander ding te hoop. Hoop is net so belangrik vir ons gees, soos brood is vir ons liggaam. Ons vermoë, ons verbondenheid, hang grootliks af van die graad en kwaliteit van ons hoop” (Fr. Flor McCarthy, SDB).
Umyalezo wexesha lokulindela – UNyaka C, 2018
Ndiqinisekile ukuba abaninzi kuthi bakhe bawafumana amava okuya kulindela umhlobo, umntu abamthandayo, undwendwe okanye umntu obalulekileyo ebomini babo kwisikhululo sebhasi okanye seenqwelo-moya. Emva kokulibaziseka okunganyamezelekiyo, sithi sivuyiswe kukubona lowo simthandayo esithi gqi kuloo ndawo yokulindela.
Sitsho sililibale ixesha elide ebesilinde ngalo, silulibale unxunguphalo lokulinda nendlela eziphazamiseke ngayo izinto. Iimvakalelo zethu zibalisa elinye ibali, lokuba ukulindela kwethu bekubalulekile, kunentsingiselo eyiyo, kufanelekile kananjalo. Ngokunjalo, ixesha Lokulindela ukufika kweNkosi ebomini bethu, lisenza sizale luvuyo, uthando, ithemba kunye nemo yento eza kwenzeka nesithsaba sayo singumzuzu weKrismesi.
ULuka Ongcwele uhamba nathi ngamaxesha okucamngca ngeeCawa zoMnyaka u-C, uyasimema ukuba “siphaphe sikhunga” (Lk 21:36). Umthandaza unokuchazwa njengesenzo sokuphakamisa iingqondo zethu neentliziyo zethu siziphakamisela kuThixo. Uvula amehlo ethu ukuze simbone uThixo, usincedise sibone konke ngokufanelekileyo, size sikhathalele, sikhusele uxolo ezintliziyweni zethu, nokuba sesiphethwe ziingxaki neentlungu. Ukuhlala siphaphile kuyasimema ukuba sivundle size sizilolonge ngokwasemoyeni kobu bomi bethu bokholo. Ukuhlala sivundlile kusenza sikubone ukubaluleka kokukwahlula okuhle kokubi ukuze sibe nokukwazi ukubuva ubukho bukaThixo ebomini bethu, sahlule okulungileyo kokungalunganga, okuhle nokubi size sibe nobukroti bokuhlala intlalo efanele imfundiso yeVangeli.
“Ukwahlulela,” UPhapha uFrancis uyakugxininisa: “Siyakufuna ngawo onke amaxesha, ukuze kusincede sisazi isicwangciso sikaThixo, khon’ ukuze singabi nakusilela ukuyibona imfuno yofefe lwakhe, singasisabeli isimemo sakhe sokukhula.” UPhapha Ongcwele, wenza isimemo esifanelekileyo nesinokwenza ukuba sikwazi ukulibhiyozela ngokulungileyo eli Xesha Lokulindela, “Ndiyawacela onke amaKristu ukuba angakulibali ‘ukuphengulula izazela’ zawo xa ethetha neNkosi,” (Gaudate et Exsultate,109)
Kuhlahlelo lokugqibela, ixesha lokulindela lisilungiselela ukuba sibe nokubhiyozela Ukuzalwa kweNkosi uYesu Kristu, nokuthi kusikhumbuze ngembali yosindiso, ngokunyaniseka, nothando olungummangaliso lukaThixo. UThixo walithanda ihlabathi ngokuthi athumele uNyana wakhe ekuphela kwamzeleyo ukuze sibe nobomi. Kufanelekile ke ngoko ukuba siphile ngethemba lokufika kweNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu eze kuseka ubuKumkani bukaThixo okokugqibela.
“ Ithemba libalulekile ebomini bethu. Inxalenye yobomi bethu siyichithela kwiminqweno, ukulindela, ukuthembela kwinto ethile. Kunzima ukuphila xa ubani engenathemba kwaphela. Ithemba libalulekile emiphefumlweni yethu njengesonka emizimbeni yethu. Ukomelela kwethu nokuzibophelela kwethu kuxhomekeke kubungakanani nokuxabiseka kwethemba lethu.” (Fr. Flor McCarthy, SDB)
BISHOP'S ADVENT APPEAL 2018
Clergy Benevolent Fund
Last year, 2017 I requested you to contribute to the Clergy Benevolent Fund. This fund takes care of the various needs of the Clergy, especially those who are retired over a long period. This year, 2018 I ask that you again would make contributions to the Clergy Benevolent Fund. We currently have eight retired Priests, who due to the critical shortage of vocations to the priesthood, continue to minister full time to the best of their ability and as far as their health permits. Some avail themselves for part time supplies, they offer mentoring and share their valuable wealth of knowledge and experience with our recently ordained priests, they avail themselves for spiritual direction and assistance to individuals and different lay movements and sodalities, others offer special courses and retreats, the list is just endless. In actual fact the Catholic Diocese of Port Elizabeth would be greatly disadvantaged and impoverished without them. The Clergy Benevolent Fund also helps mitigate the expenses of poorer parish communities. Your valuable contributions will go a long way assisting in the proper and deserved care of our retired Priests.
Property Maintenance
Can 1214 – By the term Church is understood a sacred building designated for divine worship to which the faithful have the right of entry for the exercise, especially the public exercise, of divine worship. Our Diocese has magnificent well maintained churches, however we are experiencing serious structural issues at some of our churches, most of them being non-sustainable parishes. The Diocese assists these Parishes.
In the Gospel Mark 12:38-44, Jesus observes the crowd as they make their offerings to the synagogue treasury. He sees the wealthy people putting in large sums, while a poor widow contributes only two small coins. Seizing on this teachable moment, Jesus calls His disciples to Himself and tells them that according to His calculations, it is the widow who has made the most pleasing offering. Unlike the rich, who gave a portion of their surplus, the widow gave all she had, “her whole livelihood.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ, who came so that we may all have life to the full bless you abundantly and reward you a hundred-fold for your generosity! Bishop Vincent Mduduzi Zungu OFM.
Daily Reflection
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Thursday February 21, 2019 – Be fertile and multiply
And the Lord God said, let there be sex. And there was sex. And babies soon followed. OK, I made that up. But when you [...]The post Thursday February 21, 2019 – Be fertile and multiply appeared first on A Catholic Moment.
Read more...
Important Links & Websites
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| Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference | Websites & Publishing Services | South Africa's Catholic Newspaper | Marriage & Family Ministry |
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| St Augustine's Cathedral | South Africa's Only Catholic Radio Station | Official Site - Bl Benedict Daswa |
Renew Africa |
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| A Lifleline for Troubled Marriages | PE-based Education Development | Catholic Order of Gentlemen | Vatican News Agency |
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Justice & Peace Documents
The Justice & Peace Department has made the following documents available
SACBC Justice & Peace Commission Calls for Jobs Summit to Discuss Unemployment Crisis
Race: What South Africans really think
Sustainable use of water, oceans and marine resources
Apostolic Exhortation on Love on the Family 2016 (Amoris Laetitia)
Pope Francis, Urging Less Judgment, Signals Path for Divorced on Communion 2016
Charter of Election Ethics (Municipal Elections 2016)
SACBC News
22 February 2019
- Catholic Church CPLO reflects on Tito Mboweni’s Budget Speech 2019
- “We bow our heads in shame”, Said the Catholic Religious Congregations and Orders Superior Generals regarding the abuse of Minors
- Archbishop W. Slattery Celebrates 25 years of Episcopacy with a special message to the Clergy and the Faithful of Pretoria
- Is Monitoring and Evaluation your field? Grab the opportunity in the SACBC Aids Office now
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