Priestly ordination of Kgomotso Ronnie in South Africa

Kgomotso Sebopela
was ordained deacon
on the 18^th of May 2014
in the Comboni Mission
of Waterval,
where he had been doing
his missionary service.
 

At the celebration, presided by Mgr. Giuseppe Sandri, bishop of Witbank, many people took part, coming from all sides of South Africa and abroad, besides the Comboni missionaries and many priests of the Archdiocese of Pretoria and other dioceses.

The celebration, which lasted for a good four hours, was filled with prayer, joy, singing and dancing and also with a lot of good humour, especially in the different addresses that people gave, at the end of the celebration.

The mother of Kgomotso, Martha, a convert to the catholic faith, and the father, Steve, a follower of an independent church of South Africa, were filled with joy and amazement: their only male child had become a catholic only some years ago and was now being ordained a missionary priest.

The following day, 23^rd November, the rain, a sign of God’s blessings in this country, welcomed us while performing the ceremony, according to the Sotho tradition, that took place before the beginning of the first mass of the newly ordained. Kgomotso arrived wrapped in a blanket and the well known conic Sotho traditional hat. The elders, all men, among whom was also his father, gathered around a table with a big pot of traditional beer, to give their advice to the new priest. The provincial superior was also part of the group and had the opportunity to give his advice and to proffer words of encouragement. Then, after passing around the calabash with the delicious beverage, the Eucharist was celebrated.

The day after, the celebration was in Mabopane, Fr. Kgomotso’s own village. The parish church of Christ the King was filled to capacity. The celebration went on for six hours without interruption, accompanied by the sound of the drums. During the mass, the community was informed that Fr. Kgomotso had been assigned to the province of Chad, where he will spend the first years of his missionary life. This news gave more relevance to the feast since the people were proud that a son of their community – it was the first priestly ordination in the parish – was going in their name to preach the Gospel outside South Africa.