History Shapes Today
Dear Reader,
In every edition of The Southern Cross, we look back at various times in the past, in regular items such as the Saint of the Month (in this issue, St Martin of Tours, one of the Church’s most beloved saints), the Great Marian Shrines (this month in Rwanda), and the From Our Vaults section, which this month takes us back to November 1963 and the assassination of John F Kennedy.
These histories are reminders of where we come from — the past always shapes today. This finds expression on our cover, which shows the wife of the late boxing legend Willie Toweel, Alida, photographed in the church of St Charles in Victory Park, Johannesburg. Alida and her daughter Samantha Toweel-Moore have recorded the legacy of Willie and his brothers in the famous Toweel boxing dynasty, whose story we tell on page 8.
There is a story surrounding the defeat of Vic Toweel, South Africa’s first boxing world champion, to Australia’s Jim Carruthers in 1952. Toweel had the custom of always making the sign of the cross with his back to the ring before turning to face his opponent. Aware of that, it is said, the Australian waited for the bell to ring, raced across the ring, and sucker-punched Vic just as the “Benoni Atom” turned from signing himself. Vic didn’t recover from that and lost the fight in the first round.
Another family story is told by Ann van Niekerk on page 27, recalling her saintly parents on the occasion of the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. Grazia Barletta’s recipe this month also marks these feasts, and our “Your Questions Answered” articles look at how saints used to be recognised, and whether Catholics may ask to have their ashes scattered.
More fascinating history can be found on page 12. The Missionary Sisters of the Assumption will celebrate 175 years in South Africa on December 15. It is a remarkable anniversary, alone for the fact that these pioneers were the first religious Sisters to minister in what is now South Africa.
Gunda Spingies tells the inspiring story of the congregation’s early years, which were marked by deprivation, heroic struggle, and the kind of dedication that has since been replicated by so many other congregations of religious working in the vineyards of the Lord. To the Sisters of the Assumption, always such steadfast friends of The Southern Cross, we say: Ad multos annos!
On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis will launch the Jubilee Year 2025 when he opens the holy door of St Peter’s basilica. Of course, we will cover the Jubilee throughout the year, in print and on our digital platforms. In this issue, we look at how Rome has been preparing for the year, and how the Jubilee is going to be celebrated in South Africa.
The Jubilee Year offers us the opportunity to gain plenary indulgences, which are the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, granted by the Church under specific conditions, allowing a person to receive full forgiveness for the consequences of their sins (we will explain that in greater detail in January).
One way of gaining such indulgences is by entering at least one of the four major basilicas in Rome through their holy doors, or by making pilgrimages to basilicas in the Holy Land or locally designated churches. We will explain the history of holy doors and of Jubilee Years next month.
But in this issue we recount the histories of St Peter’s and St John Lateran basilicas, both of which have feast days in November. We covered the stories of St Mary Major and St Paul Outside the Walls in 2023. Both of these articles can be found on our website.
Thank you for reading The Southern Cross, and please tell your friends about your monthly Catholic magazine.
God bless,
Günther Simmermacher
(Editor)
- St John Lateran Basilica: The Pope’s Cathedral - November 9, 2024
- Shrines around the World: Abbey of Our Lady’s Dormition - November 6, 2024
- History Shapes Today - October 29, 2024