South Africa 2012

October 23, 2009

South Africa

There are 16 SMA missionaries appointed in South Africa, serving in three dioceses (Johannesburg, Pretoria and Rustenburg) and in SMA administrative posts. The SMA Regional House, located about 30kms east of Rustenburg on the Old Pretoria Road is the residence for the SMA Regional Superior and is the administrative centre for the Region.

Regional Superior: Fr Pius Afiabor SMA (Bight of Benin DF / Nigeria)
Vice-Regional Superior: Fr Liam Brady SMA (Ireland)
Regional Councillor: Fr Michael Flattery SMA (Ireland)

Regional House postal address
SMA House, A 177 Buffelsfontein, P O Box 186, MOOINOOI 0325, Republic of South Africa

Office: +27 14 574 3387 House: +27 14 574 3437 Mobile +27 72 3683 198
@ sasmafathers @ gmail.com

SMA involvement in South Africa

10 from Ireland.
2 from the Bight of Benin District-in-formation (BBDF)
2 from the Gulf of Guinea DF (GGDF)

Archdiocese of Johannesburg: Archbishop Buti Tlhagale

The Archdiocese has an an area of 14,517 sq kms, and a population of over 6 million, of whom about 704,000 are Catholic. (2006)

Two SMA priests care for three Parishes
Fr Justin Inandjo (GGDF / Togo) is Parish Priest of Vereenigeng, a major town with one outstation and two linked parishes. He is assisted by Fr Ysmael Gbagoué (GGDF / Ivory Coast).

Archdiocese of Pretoria: Archbishop William Slattery OFM

The Archdiocese has an area of 16,579 sq km, and a population of over 4.7 million, of whom 186,383 are Catholic.(2006)

Fr Micheal O’Leary (Cork City) is in charge of Montana Parish, a large multi-racial city parish in North Pretoria and produces many pamphlets and booklets on topical issues.
Fr Michael Flattery (Clara, Offaly) is in charge of Meerhof parish as well as serving as National Director of the Lenten Appeal Campaign of the South African Bishop’s Conference (SABC).
Fr Evantus Kene (BBDF / Nigeria) is in charge of Sunnyside parish, an inner-city multi-racial parish catering for a large immigrant population.

Diocese of Rustenburg: Bishop Kevin Dowling CSsR

The Diocese of Rustenburg extends from the outskirts of Pretoria to the Botswana border, and covers an area of 32,120 sq km. It has a population of 980,000, of whom 43,500 are Catholic (2004 figures). This huge area is presently served by 24 priests, of whom 9 are SMA. The Diocese has four large urban areas. The rest of the territory consists of townships, squatters’ camps and rural villages. Altogether 135 communities are served by the Diocese.
All SMA members in the Diocese use the Tswana language. The AIDS ministry is an integral part of ministry in Rustenburg. The 9 SMA priests are involved in pastoral, educational and administrative work.

Fr Pius Afiabor (Nigeria / BBDF), Regional Superior, is in charge of Kanana parish, a township parish and for the moment commutes between his parish and the SMA Regional House at Buffelsfontein.
Fr Liam Brady (Cork City) is Parish Priest in Swartklip, a mining town with surrounding villages, and Bursar for the Diocese.
Fr Vincent Brennan (Elphin, Roscommon) is in charge of Mogwase Parish.
Fr Michael Brady (Castlebar, Mayo) is Parish Priest of Northam, a trading and mining town.
Fr Noel Gillespie (Gort, Galway) is Parish Priest of Tlokweng and Diocesan Pilgrimage Director.
Fr Ken Cooney (Cork City) is Parish Priest of Modimong and is Chaplain to the Diocesan AIDS Hospice and Outreach Programme.
Fr Martin Walsh (Blarney, Cork) is Parish Priest of Zeerust, a major town with its surrounding villages.
Fr Frank Geoghegan (Kildalkey, Meath) teaches Maths and Science at St Anne’s Girls High School, Modimong.
Fr Frederick Warner (Claremorris, Mayo) is Parish Priest of Sesobe Parish, a parish close to the Botswana border.

The Apostolic Nuncio in South Africa is American-born Archbishop James Patrick Green. He is, at the same time, Apostolic Nuncio to Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.

The President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), which takes in Botswana, South Africa and Swaziland, is His Grace, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg.

Contact address: SACBC, 399 Khanya House Paul Kruger Street – PO Box 941, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa 0001