Daughters of Saint Anne Sodality launches in Daveyton Parish

By Kati Dijane – As the church celebrated its birthday, the feast of Pentecost, on Sunday, 19 May 2024, St Nicholas Catholic Church, in Daveyton, also marked a special occasion: the launch of the Sodality of the Daughters of St Anne.

Members, as well as the committee of the sodality from the archdioceses of Johannesburg and Pretoria, came in numbers to show their support. Nine members, including Seipati Bitwane, Portia Dludlu, Daphne Moesi, Judith Mndau, Beauty Mashigo, Thembelihle Tsotetsi, Winnie Mazibuko, Zodwa Masango and Thato Lamola, were pinned as initiates.

During his homily, Deacon Vincent Morare said that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, has entrusted the church to us. And thus, we should burn with the gifts of the third person of the Holy Trinity and be pillars of the Christian faith to others. On that note, he welcomed the members and expressed gratitude for the initiative of the young women who, through their pastoral work, want to continue burning the Easter candle that would no longer be on the altar as we wrap up the Easter season.

While the sodality’s footprint has been present in other parishes in the far east rand deanery, including St Joseph, in Actonville, and St Anthony Pucci, in Duduza, the addition of new members in Daveyton shows a gradual growth that will one day form a permanent independent structure in the far east rand, as well as a committee. So far, members in the far east rand work hand in hand with the near east rand deanery. The chairperson of the near east rand, Nonkululeko Dineka, from St Albert the Great in Vosloorus, said she was happy about the successful launch of the sodality, adding that what made the day extra special was introducing the sodality to a new parish on the birth of the church.

The sodality was founded 41 years ago in 1983 by the archbishop of Johannesburg, Archbishop Buti Thlagale OMI, when he was still a priest. His Grace founded the sodality with the help of the then-diocesan spiritual director of the St Anne Sodality, Father S. Tebele,the regional spiritual director, Father M. Shomang, as well as Father B. Mbatha, Father E. Lenon, Father L. Moshoeshoe, and Mrs Yvonne Mofokeng from Our Lady of Assumption in Molapo, Soweto. The aim was to help champion pastoral work among young women who wanted to belong to a sodality and had a special devotion to St Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. The Sodality commemorates its founding on September 8, which is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.