Triple Celebration in the Diocese of Mthatha

Diocese of Mthatha triple celebration

By Sr Margaret Mary SU – Closure of the Jubilee Year of Hope, Diaconate Ordination of Mohale Motsoela and the Furling of the Coat of Arms of Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka

The Catholic Diocese of Mthatha gathered at St Francis Xavier Parish in Maclear for a celebration that was nothing short of historic on  February 11, 2026. In one single, meaningful liturgy, the diocese celebrated three significant occasions: the closure of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the diaconate ordination of  Mohale Motsoela, and the retraction of the Coat of Arms banner of Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka.

The gathering brought together the Complete Family of the diocese; that is, parishioners, the family of the newly ordained deacon, school principals, teachers, learners, religious sisters and brothers, diocesan desk representatives, and clergy. It was truly a celebration for everyone and by everyone.

A Long-Awaited Ordination

The first part of the celebration was the diaconate ordination of Mohale Motsoela of St Martin of Tours Parish, Maluti Deanery. This ordination carried a special significance for the diocese. It had been a long time since Mthatha had ordained a “son of the soil”, a young man from within the diocese itself. For many present, this was a deeply emotional and joyful moment, a reminder that the Church in Mthatha continues to bear fruit. Celebrating the closure of the Jubilee Year of Hope with an ordination was a living example of what hope looks like in the context of the Diocese of Mthatha.

In his homily, Fr Laurent Ipoba CMM, parish priest of St Martin of Tours, challenged the faithful with a thought-provoking question:

“What do people see when they come closer to me? Is it my title?…” This question was drawn from the first reading (1 Kings 10:1-10) of the day, in which the Queen of Sheba travelled a great distance to witness the wisdom of Solomon for herself. When she had experienced the life of Solomon, the Queen of Sheba saw the Greatness of God. Which then explains our everyday call to draw people closer to God by our way of life.

“People will not be led to God by our positions. They will be led to God by our choices. Because wisdom is not proven by clever words, but by daily decisions. Solomon’s wisdom was visible in the small things: the way he treated people fairly, the way he listened, the way he chose what was right even when no one was watching.” Fr Laurent Ipoba CMM

Fr Ipoba CMM emphasised the importance of matching one’s inner life with one’s outward ministry. “Brother Mohale, today the Church calls you to the diaconate, a ministry of service. But service is not first about doing things. It is about what is inside you. Without humility, service becomes noise. Without a clean heart, ministry becomes performance. But with a converted heart, even the smallest act becomes a powerful witness,” noted Fr Ipoba CMM. 

He reminded Deacon Mohale and all present that when a person’s interior goodness is reflected in their outward actions, God’s people are naturally drawn closer to the love of God. Being a deacon, he noted, is not about outward appearances or activities alone; it is about growing in virtue, for it is virtue that makes ministry truly Godly.

The Retraction of the Coat of Arms Banner

The second significant moment came when Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka announced that his Coat of Arms would formally cease to represent the Diocese of Mthatha. Having been appointed Archbishop of Cape Town, Bishop Sipuka now serves as Administrator of the Diocese of Mthatha until his installation in Cape Town on 14th March 2026.

Since 2008 when he was appointed as Bishop of Mthatha, his Coat of Arms bore the motto: “To Care and To Work”, which captured his vision for the Diocese of Mthatha as a caring family, called to a personal relationship with Christ, living in communion with one another, and doing the work of evangelisation with their God-given talents in a purposeful, coordinated, and sustainable manner (Chronicle of Mthatha Diocese, p. 6).

These were not merely words. Archbishop-elect Sipuka lived his motto throughout his 18 years in Mthatha:

• He developed the Diocesan Pastoral Policy, which gave clear direction to parishes, the Mthatha Diocesan Pastoral Conference (MDPC), Diocesan Pastoral Forum (DPF), Parish Pastoral Committee(PPC), and many other diocesan structures.
• In 2024, after listening carefully to the voice of the people, he developed the Diocesan Pastoral Plan under the theme “Abide in Me and bear much fruit” (John 15:6). This Pastoral Plan is described as “a product of the collective experience and insights of ALL members of the Diocese, reflecting where we are as a Church and where we should be, and outlining the steps needed to get us there” (Pastoral Plan 2024, p. 3)
• More recently, he formed a Diocesan Synodal Team, invited every member of the diocese to respond to a synodality questionnaire that he formulated, and from the synthesised responses, developed a booklet on synodality

In every way, Archbishop-elect Sipuka cared and worked, and the Diocese of Mthatha is richer for it. Although the banner has been retracted, the spirit it carried of a diocese that cares and works together has been planted deeply in the hearts of the faithful.

Closing the Jubilee Year of Hope

The final part of the celebration marked the official closure of the Jubilee Year of Hope.

A moving evaluation of the year’s activities across the deaneries was read. The fruits of the Jubilee Year were evident:

• Deaneries came together through visits to the Doors of Hope and shared prayer
• Growth in sodality membership was recorded across parishes
• Reconciliation in families was noted as one of the most beautiful fruits of the year
• The Jubilee hymn, composed within our diocese, became a unifying thread where every parish sang it with great joy and a deep sense of what the year meant

Following the evaluation, Archbishop-elect Sipuka addressed the congregation with an encouraging message on hope:

“We are now agents of hope, commissioned to bring God’s transformative presence into our homes, in our workplaces, in our communities, in our own nations. We are called to be those small signs that Jesus pointed to….those concrete realisations of hope that build towards the Grand Fulfilment of Hope” Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka

He called on every person present to be an Agent of Hope, in their homes, their parishes, their workplaces, and their communities. He reminded the faithful that signs of hope are present all around us, even in the smallest and most ordinary moments of daily life.

The celebration ended with a procession through the Door of Hope, followed by a prayer of thanksgiving. In a deeply symbolic final act, Archbishop-elect Sipuka, closed the Door of Hope, extinguished the Jubilee candle and retracted the Jubilee banner.

This was, by every measure, an intense and memorable celebration for the Diocese of Mthatha. In one liturgy, the diocese ordained a deacon, retracted the coat of arms banner of the Archbishop elect, and closed The Sacred Year of Hope. All in the presence of God and one another. It was indeed a reminder of how Catholic liturgy holds all of life together.

The diocese congratulates Deacon Mohale Motsoela on his ordination and keeps him in prayers as he begins this new chapter of service.

We thank and support Archbishop-elect Sithembele Sipuka as he takes up his new ministry in Cape Town, carrying with him the richness that he has shared with the Diocese of Mthatha.

“Our hope is not in titles, structures, or appearances. Our hope is in hearts that are converted, hearts that listen, hearts that forgive, hearts that choose honesty over lies, humility over pride, faithfulness over convenience. When the heart is clean, life becomes a witness. And when life becomes a witness, God is praised. May the Lord give us all such hearts.” Fr Ipoba CMM 

The Diocese of Mthatha will continue caring and working as Agents of Hope.