A Chapel too small for so many!

Every year, during the month of February, those serving as "catechists" in our parishes and outstations, come together to Manzini to be commissioned (sent!) by the bishop. Our diocese is blessed by having hundreds of them.

Due to the celebration of a wedding at the Cathedral, the celebration was moved to the "Salesian chapel" nearby. The more than 200 catechists that arrive from every parish in our diocese could hardly fit in the church. The heat of the day was a serious challenge but the joyful spirit kept the celebration alive.

Catechists were welcomed by Fr Wiseman Nkomo (catechetical coordinator of the diocese) who presented the program of the day:

• talk on the importance of the Eucharist in the life of a catechist (by Khonzumenzi Dlamini) followed by some time for questions
• celebration of the Mass and commissioning

He also reminded the catechists about the "essential" resources they should have:

• the Bible, 
• the catechism of the Catholic Church, 
• the catechetical book according to the sacrament they prepare for and 
• the book of prayers in Siswati printed a couple of years' ago in our diocese

Fr Wiseman Nkomo

Khonzumenzi Dlamini is one of our seminarians. He is presently at Mater Dolorosa Parish (Mbabane) for the six months' internship. Speaking in both English and Siswati he shared on the Eucharist from the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and his own experience. 

You as Catechists will be sent out today to be missionary disciples, you will be transmitting the Faith, and you will be leading the young and the old to know and fall in Love with the Eucharist. ... from the Eucharistic Jesus you will get the strength to go out on a mission. Hence it important to attend Mass to eat from the table of the word and Eucharist, listen to the word, your eyes will be opened in the Eucharist and you will get strength to catechise the catechumens.  

At the end of the gathering he accepted to prepare a text to be sent to everyone during the week. Our Diocese has a WhatsApp group that reaches at least 500 people and makes it easier to distribute information and formation material like this one.

During my homily I invited the catechists "to teach" through the life of people who took God's Word seriously. The first reading of the day - from Hebrew 11 - indicated some names: Abel, Henoch, Noah. There are others in the Bible we are familiar with: Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul... Our sodalities and religious communities indicate others like St Anne, St Mary Margaret Alacoque, the Seven Holy Founders, St John Bosco, St Francis de Sales, Blessed Joseph Allamano.

With so many witnesses in a great cloud all around us, we too, then, should throw off everything that weighs us down and the sin that clings so closely, and with perseverance keep running in the race which lies ahead of us. (Heb. 12:1)

It would be great - though - if we could also identify members of our communities we are grateful to for the way they lived their faith. I still remember visiting an outstation of Regina Mundi Parish (Piggs Peak) and finding in the Church the photo of one of our leaders. He had certainly made an impact in them.

In other places people have been sharing with me on members of the community who tirelessly worked to build the Church and led them by their example of faith and love.

Before the final blessing I asked the male catechists to stand up. I wanted to remind everyone that we do not have many and I do believe we need them. The teaching of the faith should be done both by male and female, young and adults.

I therefore gave them "homework". I asked them to contact their friends and the male sodalities (Swaziland Council of Catholic Men and St Joseph's) inviting them to consider joining this service.

The message must have been clear because the following morning someone contacted me on Facebook letting me know he wants to join them!

The gathering ended with the group photo and some snacks for the journey.

May the Lord bless each one of them and their families.