Holy Mass of Thanksgiving for the Canonisation of St Joseph Allamano was celebrated on 16 March 2025 in the Mary Immaculate Queen Parish in Osizweni, in the Diocese of Dundee, at the outcasts of Newcastle town in South Africa.
By Ssempala Wakahora *
This parish community was the last parish, we, the Consolata Missionaries served in the Diocese of Dundee, having celebrated our Golden Jubilee on the 17th October 2021. This same date, we bid farewell to the parishioners and the Diocese at large. The Bishop of the Diocese, Rt. Rev. Bishop Graham Rose graced the occasion then.
Four years later, the parish priest, Fr. Mthokozisi Ndlovu, the leaders and the parishioners welcomed back us, Consolata Missionaries, to celebrate the gift to the Church and to the congregation of the Canonization of St. Joseph Allamano, our Founder, held on 20 October 2024 in Rome.
The Diocese of Dundee holds a very special place in the heart of our Congregation, especially our Delegation. The Catholic faithful too, from our various parishes in the Diocese have always appreciated the contribution of the Consolata missionaries in the work of evangelization and human promotion. These memories were not absent even during this last celebration.
Fr. Mthokozisi Ndlovu had underlined the importance of cherishing the spirituality of the past missionaries, since it is part and parcel of the history of the parish and the diocese. He insisted that, in the very fact that Consolata Missionaries worked in the parish, the present maturity and growth of the parishes in Osizweni and the diocese at large cannot be ignored. That history, that contribution, that growth in all spheres, is worth being appreciated and lived. ‘We cannot eliminate history; we cannot eliminate the great work/contributions of the Consolata Missionaries’ he said.
The Celebrations we would say started on the 15th March as those who were representing the Consolata Missionaries in the Delegation of South Africa arrived on that Saturday afternoon. There were six seminarians, Bro. Ribeiro Mario Rupeque, Stanley Kiarie, Vincent Odida, Nordinho Andre Waissone, Kouadio Ghislain Kouame, Kelvin Ng’ang’a Gitau. We had also a representation by Nathaniel Kagwima (the Delegate Superior), Fr. Didier Sunda (the Vice Delegate Superior), Fr. Boniface Ondiek and Fr. Anthony Muinde, who handed over the parish to Fr. Mthokozisi.
We were welcomed in the MIQ parish where they had slaughtered a full bull. The parish was full of activities due to the preparations. Apart from that, they were roasting the meat for the visitors (Consolata Missionaries) and asked as to just sit and enjoy the treat. We were amazed by the fact that the feast started before the real feast had started. Anyway, it was a good gesture of welcome!
The following day, we had the colorful celebration of the Eucharist, in which Fr. Nathaniel Kagwima (who formally worked in that parish and commonly named Fr. Nathi by the parishioners) was the main celebrant. The intension of the Holy Mass was to pray for all Consolata Missionaries and in a special way we prayed for the soul for Fr. Rocco Marra Imc and all other deceased members that had worked in Dundee Diocese. Fr. Nathaniel underlined the common words of St. Joseph Allamano, ‘The good must be done well, without noise’ This very known phrase, ‘Fr. Nathi’ stated, was the road map to sanctity as par St. Joseph Allamano. This path he underlined was made of doing ‘ordinary things in an extraordinary way’. For St. Jospeh Allamano, doing good the ordinary things, in a very extraordinary way, yet without noise was the sure way to sanctity and to the greater good.
Fr. Nathaniel further encouraged the parishioners to at least learn something of value from St. Joseph Allamano, whether one is a teacher, a catechist, a member of a sodality, an altar server, a choir member, a nurse…even beyond the profession, other acts of charity like helping the old and vulnerable, etc., are those acts that St. Joseph Allamano is talking about. Those acts that shout beyond our voices!
The colourful Mass had a surprise ‘offertory’ of a goat! Those who work in this side of the world understand what that means, especially given the fact that the goats are not just any animal that can be used or even offered during Holy Mass. The goat is an animal solely used for the traditional activities, and especially as an offering to the ancestors. Hence the big fuss and excitement of our side. By the time the Mass was over, the goat was a chunk of meat ready to be divided amongst the Consolata communities in the delegation!
The Parish priest received a gift of a Chasuble from the missionaries. Fr. Didier Sunday, talking on behalf of other missionaries expressed gratitude to the parish priest for the great act of love and welcome that he extended to us. He thanked him for organizing such a big event. As he underlined, it seemed like an event that was organized by the Consolata Missionaries themselves. He also thanked the leaders and the parishioners for their love of the Consolata family. ‘What did we do to deserve such love?” He wondered and asked the parishioners to keep on praying for the missionaries as we too will always pray for them and cherish them too.
* Father Ssempala Wakahora, IMC, missionary in South Africa. www.consolatasa.blogspot.com
