Polokwane Diocese Inaugural Workshop

The newly elected diocesan councils within the SACBC have been holding inaugural workshops on commissioning, servant leadership, and Synodality since the recent election of a three-year term incumbent.

The Catholic diocese of Polokwane held an inaugural workshop for the newly elected diocesan council members for all its church structures from May 1-3 at the Mater Dei Pastoral Centre in Mokopane.

The weekend was specifically arranged for a formal welcome, training sessions and the commissioning of new members.  Attended by over 70 delegates, which included priests, the weekend was vibrant with positive engagement, a lot of spiritual interaction and listening.

The weekend began with a lively opening prayer session, followed by an inspiring and thought-provoking talk by the shepherd of the diocese, Bishop Jeremiah Masela, giving encouragement and motivation to new leaders from various structures of the church.

Six sessions were followed by presentations by Bishop Masela, priests and members of the laity.

• A Synodal Path towards building and evangelising community
• Synod on Synodality
• The Pastoral plan
• The Role of PPC in the Synodal Process
• Leadership in the Synodal Church
• Catholic Social Teachings

It was evident that there was a great feeling of being supported and assisted throughout the entire weekend, despite the fact that many members arrived daunted and apprehensive about the expectations of their new roles.

Bishop Masela presided over the Holy Mass celebrations. During his closing Mass homily, he expressed deep gratitude to members of the council for their selfless service.

“My dear brothers and sisters, I am deeply grateful that you have offered to take on these critical responsibilities for a three-year term this year; to serve as the leadership of our diocese without expecting anything in return. May God bless you abundantly as you dedicate yourselves to this important mission in the Church.”