From
Rome December 21, 1997
From
Rome December 21, 1997
Fr. Zolile Peter Mpambani, scj was born February 20 1957 at Umliali, in the Republic of South Africa has been named to the General Council. Fr. Mpambani made his first profession on January 28, 1982. He did his theological studies at Cedara (a school for religious students to the priesthood located in the diocese of Durban), and was ordained on April 25 1987.After ordination he severed for three years as pastor at Umliali, followed by two and a half years at Burgesdorp, before going to England to study at St. Anselm's in preparation for assuming the position of novice master in the new South African Province (erected in November of 1994). In addition, he served as a member of the General Commission on Spirituality and the Apostolate from 1992 to 1997.
He was elected to the first provincial administration of the South African Province, taking office in February of 1995, as vicar provincial, and most recently at the SCJ South African election assembly held on December 9, 1997, he was elected to a second term to the provincial council.
He will assume the duties of the general councilor responsible for Africa (AM, CM, ZA; MAD, MOZ). In addition he will be entrusted with the category of Initial Formation and Ongoing Formation, as well as, assisting in Fr. Ryszard Mis, scj in category of Missions.
Fr. Mpamban, scj is assuming the general council position recently vacated by Fr. Tomé Makhweliha, scj who has been nominated by Pope John Paul II as bishop elect of Pemba, Mozambique.
The Rome I Community recently celebrated the anniversaries curia personnel marked during 1997:Twenty-fifth Anniversary of OrdinationRyszard Mis, scj and Claudio Siebenaler, scjFortieth Anniversary of OrdinationAndré Perroux, scjFiftieth Anniversary of Profession
Adriano Borst, scjUmberto Chiarello, scjSixtieth Anniversary of ProfessionOliviero Girardi, scj
Members of the General Curia begin visits to various provinces and regions.On December 18, 1997, Fr. Virginio Bressanelli, scj and Fr. Ryszard Mis, scj begin a month long visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire). Fr. Mis, responsible for the mission category, is filling in for the recently elected bishop Tomé Makhwéliha, scj, due to the fact that a new general councilor for Africa could not be appointed in time to accompany the general superior for this visit.On December 21, 1997, Fr. Tom Cassidy, scj will begin a visit to Malpas and parts of the British-Irish Province, to be followed by a visit to North America.
On December 28, 1997, Fr. Carlos Alberto da Costa Silva, scj travels to South America. During the months of January and February the various provinces and regions of Latin America hold their annual week long scj assemblies.
On December 17, 1997, Bishop elect Tomé Makhweliha, scj (MOZ) returned to Mozambique to plan for his episcopal ordination.
Giacomo Casolino, scj (IM), provincial superior, recently returned from a visit to the scj mission on the island of Madagascar. He shared his personal observations with the General Administration during their recent visit to Naples.Along with Manuel Neto Quintas, scj (LU), provincial superior of the Portuguese Province, they attended an scj assembly trying to develop a new model of government for the area. At present there are two separate scj jurisdictions on the island, and as scjs look toward the future establishment of a province the need for an intermediate common jurisdiction seems self evident.
At present about 20 scjs from South Italy and Portugal are working on the island. There are almost an equal number of Malgash scjs in early stages, i.e., temporary vows, of formation.
The Philippine and Indian scj missions both plan to open novitiates during April of 1998. The General Administration is in the process of taking the necessary steps to facilitate these plans. This requires the appointment of novices masters and the erection of the novitiate houses.The Philippines SCJ Novitiate will be at Dimataling (one of the three original scj communities on Mindanao). Fr. Jerry Sheehy, scj (BH) recently returned from a year long formation course in England to prepare for the post of novice master.
The Indian SCJ Novitiate site is pending waiting approval of the local ordinary. Fr. Sebastião Pitz, scj (BM) is currently in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program run by the US Province at Sacred Heart School of Theology, in Hales Corners, WI. Plans are for him to arrive in India in time to assume the duties of novice master in April 1998.