Archdiocese of Johannesburg - Official Website of the Catholic Church in Gauteng South Africa

Welcome to the Official website of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg

The Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg comprises the following districts: Johannesburg, Alberton, Balfour, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Carletonville, Delmas, Germiston, Heidelberg, Kempton Park, Krugersdorp, Nigel, Randburg, Randfontein, Roodepoort, Sandton, Soweto, Springs, Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, and Westonaria. The Archdioces of Johannesburg covers an area of over 14 517sq.km.

The suffragan of Sees of Manzini (Swaziland), Klerksdorp and Witbank fall under Archdiocese of Johannesburg.

The districts of Pretoria, Midrand and Centurion fall outside the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg but fall under the Archdiocese of Pretoria.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg comprises 160 priests, 40 deacons and 38 religious orders, who provide pastoral ministry & leadership to a very diverse congregation of at least 1m lay Catholics, who adhere to the tenets of their faith to various degrees in 125 very differently resourced parishes & 50 schools predominantly in the Gauteng province.

In accordance with the Magisterium, we the Church seek to evangelize ourselves and respond to spiritual & human needs (through catechetics, contextual mission, education, pastoral work, the sacraments, lay movements & the nurturing of Parish communities) while providing moral guidance in a predominantly secular, increasingly youthful society, experiencing the challenges of dramatic societal change.

April 2018 – Overview for the Month

The month of April is dedicated to The Holy Spirit. The entire month falls during the Easter season. The liturgical color is white — the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored).

Holy Fathers Intentions for April 2018

Universal: For Those who have Responsibility in Economic Matters
That economists may have the courage to reject any economy of exclusion and know how to open new paths. (See also Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network)

Feasts for the month of April 2018

The feasts on the General Roman Calendar celebrated during the month of April are:

1. Easter Sunday,Solemnity
2. Easter Monday,Solemnity
3. Easter Tuesday,Solemnity
4. Easter Wednesday,Solemnity
5. Easter Thursday,Solemnity
6. Easter Friday,Solemnity
7. Easter Saturday,Solemnity
8. Second Sunday of Easter (or Sunday of Divine Mercy),Solemnity
11. Stanislaus of Cracow,Opt. Mem.
13. Martin I,Opt. Mem.
15. Third Sunday of Easter,Sunday
21. Anselm,Opt. Mem.
22. Fourth Sunday of Easter,Sunday
23. George; Adalbert,Opt. Mem.
24. St. Fidelis,Opt. Mem.
25. St. Mark,Feast
28. Peter Chanel (NZ, Feast); Louis Mary de Montfort; Gianna Molla, mother (Italy),Opt. Mem.
29. Fifth Sunday of Easter,Sunday
30. Pius V; Bl. Marie de l’Incarnacion (Can),Memorial

Events this Month

Saturday 27 January 9:30am RCIA workshop at Cathedral Place facilitated by Catechetical +Liturgy departments.

Commissioning of catechists in the parishes
Sundays 21 & 28 January, 4 February

RETREAT FOR CATECHISTS 10 February at St Patrick’s La Rochelle. Registration at 8:00 am

DIVORCE CARE
Are you getting divorced?
Find help and healing for the hurt of separation or divorce. Group therapy starts on Thursday 8 February 2018 at 7pm at St. John’s Catholic church, Northriding. Contact Arianna on 071 138 8401 for more details.

Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?
Find help and healing on your journey of grief.
Group therapy starts on Saturday 3 February 2018 at 10am at St John’s Catholic Church, NORTHRIDING. Contact Arianna on 071-138-8401 for details.

Fifteen men are to be ordained to the permanent Diaconate by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale at the Cathedral of Christ the King on Saturday 10 February at 09:30.

Lent Begins on Valentine Day – a Call to Radical Love in Troubling Seasons of Hate
Speaker: Dr Nontando Hadebe on Saturday 10 February at 10.00
Pauline Conference Centre, Kensington
Talk followed by refreshments
RSVP: Sr. Christiana, internet@paulines.co.za Tel: 011 622 5189
Dr Nontando Hadebe is a part-time lecturer at St Augustine College, presenter at radio Veritas, board member of Catholic Women Preach and chair of Southern African Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. Her passion is retrieving liberating theologies for marginalized groups particularly women, sexual minorities, environment and migrants as critical to creating just and equitable societies.

4- week mini-Sabatical. 27 February to 23 March 2018
Don Bosco Centre, Walkerville

Day of reflection for widowed and bereaved people.
Sunday 18 March. Venue to be advised. Call Toni on 082-552-1275 or email toni@marfam.org.za

Catholic Bible Foundation
Weekend with the Gospel of John
16-18 February 2018
See advert for details

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAR
Introduction & Registration -Tues 30th January 2018 Then every Tues evening until 27th March 2018 at 7.30 – 9.30pm
St. Charles’ Parish Hall, Road No.3, Victory Park. Secure Parking. David 082 607 1554 or Carlos 082 467 4909

PILGRIMAGE TO UGANDA
Fr S’milo Mngadi and St Albert’s Parish-Vosloorus request you to join them in a pilgrimage to the Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine and the Our Lady of Kibeho, Rwanda from the 30 May – 7 June 2018. For more information, please contact Fr S’milo on 072 110 8613 or email him on similomngadi@yahoo.com

RETREAT FOR CATECHISTS
10 February at St Patrick’s La Rochelle
Registration at 8:00 am

Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? Find help and healing on your journey of grief. Join a 13-week Seminar/Support Group programme for those mourning the death of a loved one. Starts at 9.30am, Saturday, 17 February 2018 at St Charles, VICTORY PARK. Contact Coralie Deas 083-524-7016

Commissioning of catechists in the parishes on Sunday
4 February

Come and explore the book of Isaiah. Join us as we reflect, share and discuss THE TEACHINGS OF ISAIAH
Isaiah of Jerusalem was a great poet and an acute politician, but above all he was a prophet. For hundreds of years after Isaiah’s death his disciples continued in his tradition writing prayers, oracles and stories of faith. These various oracles are important but they are sometimes difficult to understand. The Bat Kol Scripture group will be studying the book of Isaiah in 2018.
SESSIONS ON THIRD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH BEGINNING 17 FEBRUARY 2018.
TIME: 12:00 – 4:00PM.
VENUE: HOLY FAMILY COLLEGE, PARKTOWN.
R120 INCLUDES NOTES, &TEA/COFFEE. PLEASE BRING OWN LUNCH.
SISTER MARIE ANDRE MITCHELL SND.
072-250-4944.

Deanery meetings of parish coordinators and catechists
CENTRAL 3 February, 9:30am at Blessed Sacrament, Malvern
NORTH 3 February, 10am at Immaculate Conception, Rosebank
FAR EAST 24 February, 10am at Our Lady of Mercy, Springs
NEAR EAST 24 February, 2:00pm St Therese, Alberton
VAAL 3 March at Nyolohelo, Sebokeng Zone 12
WEST 3 March 10am at Holy Rosary, Krugersdorp

MARFAM workshop
Caring for parish families
10 February. Venue to be advised. Call Toni on 082-552-1275 or email toni@marfam.org.za

Monthly Events

Francophone Community on 2nd and 4th Sundays at 11:15 at Our Lady of Lourdes, Rivonia
Every Sunday at 10:00 at Our Lady of Lourdes, City Deep.
Chaplain Fr Blaise Mambu, 076-211-5232

Nigerian Community on the 2nd Sunday at 11:30 at Cathedral of Christ the King.
Chief Sylvester, 083-727-6401

Ethiopian and Eritrean Community in Amharic on the 3rd Sunday at 12:30 at St Francis of Assisi, Yeoville.
Followed by Bible Study.
Hailu Adalo, 072-357-7185, hailuadalo@yahoo.com

Zambian Community on the 3rd Sunday at 11:30 at Cathedral of Christ the King.
Nicholas Phiri 072-804-6194 or Charity Phiri 074-968-2831, charityphiri@hotmail.com

Malawian Community on the 4th Sunday at 11:30 at Cathedral of Christ the King
Felix on 0745167705 or 0718289967

Zimbabwean Community on the last Sunday at 14:00 at St Francis of Assisi, Yeoville
011 339-5954

Portuguese Community every Saturday at 20:00 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Rosebank.
011 788-5226.

NEWS

February 12, 2018

12 Feb 2018

Makatolike Funeral Group Scheme

in Department of Evangelisation /by CatholicJHB/#permalink

December 7, 2017

07 Dec 2017

MWYD: Parish/Mission days before the Mini World Youth Day

Preceding the Mini World Youth Day was the ‘Days in the Parish/Mission Days’. They took place from the 4 December. I was part of the group that was assigned to St Francis Xavier, Dassenhoek.

The area is plagued by electricity outages and water cuts. On two of the three nights we were in the neighbourhood, the electricity was cut whilst we were wrapping up around six at the church.

We started with stations of the cross from Kwacutshwayo Primary School where the parish would celebrate Mass prior to moving to their current location.

There was a car that decided to distract us by spinning. However, the youth were not deterred. They just ensured that they were a distant from it until it drove off.

Mass was celebrated by parish priest, Fr and visiting priest, Fr Mthembeni Mntambo. They were assisted by Br Mlondi Nzama who is a seminarian at St John Vianney.

Br Zipho Ngwenya and Zandi were celebrating their birthdays. They received a special blessing.

Also, in our midst were transitional deacons and other and other seminarians from Mariannhill diocese.

After lunch, young people took part in the catechetical sessions. They also engaged in various games eliciting curious stares from passers-by.

Got their hands dirty, wiping clean chairs, cleaning the church, paving the ground, cleaning the sacristy and the priest’s house,

On the second day of Mission Days, pilgrims gathered at their host parish to have breakfast and to be transported to Mariannhill Monastery. Upon arrival, Holy Mass was celebrated by seven priests with the national youth chaplain, Fr Mthembeni Dlamini as the chief celebrant. Pilgrims from the Pretoria Archdiocese joined in the celebration.

In his sermon, deacon Rev Lindelwa said friendship with Jesus is based on unconditional. He is the type of friend who is always online to listen to our stories, he will never block you and you will never see blue ticks with no response.

A tour was given of the monastery which was founded in 1882 by Fr Francis Abbot where its rich history was explained. Areas of interest such as the Mariannhill Museum, the abbey which is made out of corrugated iron and the smallest in the world also with two roofs, and the cemetery.

The general secretary of the Southern African Bishops’ Conference, Sr Hermenegild Makoro also welcomed the pilgrims saying: “Through your exuberance, we are already feeling the MWYD vibe. We wish you growth and grace. May you become who you are as proud Catholics” (sic).

“Some young people have complained that the monastery is nice but was just too quiet, so today the monastery community will welcome the noise, said Fr Mthembeni.

All in all, the MWYD was an opportunity for Catholics of this conference and beyond, to share their gifts, talents, cultures and to learn from one another.

On the third day, we bade our families goodbye and headed to St Joseph’s cathedral for the Commissioning Mass. Bishop Pius Dlungwane of Mariannhill and Archbishop William Slattery of Pretoria celebrated Mass with Fr Mthembeni Dlamini and some 25 priests concelebrating. They were assisted by a transitional deacon and seminarians.

The Mass was attended by pilgrims who had taken part in the days in the parish. They comprised

They were all given a memento by the youth

The gladness of being together is a gift from God. giving God the gift of time, self and joy. We should continue to share that gift with the rest of the country.

Lerato Mohone

in Archdiocesan News /by CatholicJHB/#permalink

December 7, 2017

07 Dec 2017

MWYD Day One: Days in the parishes

A warm welcome was extended to about 400 pilgrims from Johannesburg by parishes throughout Kwa Zulu Natal.

The Johannesburg pilgrims are by far the biggest group and were split into small groups for feasibility and smooth operation purposes. There was a long bus drive which was highlighted with a stop at the Marianhill Monastery where a Mass was celebrated by Fr Kevin Mapsumo CMM.

The liturgy was animated by the energetic and angelic voices of young people from St Philip Neri, Moletsane. Fr Kevin applauded the group after Mass and said their singing during Mass helped him to have a different encounter with God. Pilgrims were bussed to their respective dioceses where they are currently hosted by families. Today our programme started with Mass at St Anne’s, Umzinto.

We then visited the old and frail in the community, as part of our works of mercy, as encouraged by Pope Francis. All the families we visited were presented with grocery hampers from pilgrims and clothing that were collected by local youth when they were preparing for this occasion. We headed back to the parish after the mission where we were served with a scrumptious lunch. Rev Deacon, Sibusiso Mkhize led a catechesis session for all the pilgrims where they were taught about the sacrament of marriage and why it is important to discern with your partner and deliberate on serious matters, especially around culture and faith differences before tying the knot. References of what the Church outlines according to the Canon Law were also outlined.

Kati Dijane, one of the pilgrims from St Nicholas in Daveyton described her experience as “spiritually fulfilling, because I was reminded of how fortunate I am for my health and was reminded that we should always count our blessings because other people are not as fortunate as we are.”

“Our group is a lovely bunch and I hope that going back home we’ll still maintain the friendship,” she added.

5

Ayanda Bindela from the host parish and Palesa
4

Stations of the cross.
3

Stations of the cross.
2

Two of the pilgrims with the women who were preparing the meals for pilgrims.
1

Fr Matthew Ngubane holding a loudhailer opening with a prayer prior to the stations of the cross.