Polokwane Diocese Diocesan Leadership Development Workshop

Polokwane Diocesan Pastoral Council

Members of the diocesan pastoral council of the Catholic diocese of Polokwane gathered at Mater Dei Pastoral Centre on the weekend of May 16- 18, for their third leadership development workshop since they assumed office.

The gathering, which started with an opening Mass by Father John Legodi, brought together Church structure leaders from parishes across the diocese for a time of reflection and discussions.

The People of God and the Divine Hierarchy

Father TJ Skhosana presided over this year’s workshop under the theme “The People of God and the Divine Hierarchy”. The workshop offered intensive discussions and insights into the origin, vision, and mission of the Church, as well as a concise description of the line of authority in the Catholic faith.

According to delegates, this intense learning experience about the Catholic faith, duties and responsibilities of leadership offered them a valuable opportunity to recognise the development, challenges and achievements encountered during their three years of service.

The laity presentation focused on the role of the laity in the church as well as the standard procedures to be followed during the elections of members serving on different levels of the Catholic Church structures.

Given the fact that this was the last DPC Leadership Development Workshop that the departing DPC leadership would be attending, it was imperative to reflect on their three years of development, successes and challenges.

Leadership Formation Journey

Numerous pertinent and enlightening subjects have been discussed since the leadership formation journey began in 2023, that is, “Baptised & Sent Missionary Discipleship in 2023”, “The Lay Apostolate Celebration of Synodality & Evangelising our Society in 2024 “, with the latter being  “The People of God & the Divine Hierarchy”. All with the aim of empowering the DPC leadership with the skills, knowledge and spiritual foundation they need to effectively serve the diocese.

The outgoing DPC leadership extended its heartfelt gratitude to Bishop JM Masela for his visionary leadership and steadfast dedication to the continuous development of diocesan leaders. Gratitude was also extended to all the clergy as well as representatives from the Bishop’s Office for their contribution in various workshop sessions, giving diocesan leaders the skills, knowledge and dispositions needed to successfully serve God’s people in all of the diocese’s parishes.

Closing Mass with Bishop Masela

The workshop ended with a closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Masela on May 18. Drawing from the readings of the day, Bishop Masela reflected on Jesus’ words of love: “A new commandment I give to you that you love another as I have loved”.

“We should love one another as Christ has loved us; therefore, we should always act with love in everything we do. As we are called to serve the diocese, we should always show love and exercise patience with one another as brothers and sisters. As leaders of the church/ diocese, we must put our differences and misunderstandings aside and work together as a unity so that we can see the new heaven and a new earth”.

Be Close to Your Sheep

During his Homily, Bishop Masela emphasised the significance of servant leadership, which he elaborated is the leadership of service and humility. He went on saying, “A leader is someone who can wash the feet of his followers and always be at their service”. Leaders should be selfless and trustworthy; therefore, as shepherds, they should always be closer to their sheep and have the smell of their sheep.

The bishop concluded by saying that the Church’s involvement should be visible in all spheres of life of its communities, it should be at the forefront of community service as it plays a multifaceted role in society.

Bishop Masela expressed his gratitude for the service offered by the diocesan pastoral council members to the diocese. he appreciates their time, commitment, expertise, passion, resilience and ability to navigate through challenging situations in their respective positions. He commended them for their unwavering commitment and urged them to go and be witnesses of love for their parishes, the diocese and the universal Church at large.