When Pope Leo XIV appointed Monsignor Motlatsi Meshack Phomane as the next bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem on 14 April 2026, the news came as a profound surprise to the humble priest from the Diocese of Mthatha. It was an invitation he neither sought nor expected, but one he accepted with faith, trusting that the Holy Spirit would lead him in his new ministry.
On Saturday, 4 July, the Diocese of Bethlehem celebrates the episcopal ordination and installation of Bishop-Elect Phomane, ushering in a new chapter following the retirement of Bishop Jan de Groef MAfr.
Reflecting on his appointment, Bishop-Elect Phomane admitted that the call to the episcopacy left him overwhelmed. “I did not apply for this. I didn’t write a letter to the Holy Father asking to become the bishop of Bethlehem,” he said. “It was the Holy Father who wrote to me, asking me to be a bishop. That humbled me deeply.”
He recalled receiving a call from the Apostolic Nuncio informing him of the Holy Father’s decision. “I could not believe the news. I spent time reflecting and praying before giving my answer the following day. Then I said, ‘Yes, I will go to Bethlehem and be its bishop.’”
A vocation born in a small parish
Bishop-Elect Phomane’s vocation began long before he entered the seminary. Growing up in St Andrew’s Parish in the Eastern Cape, he often experienced Sundays without the celebration of Mass because there was no resident priest. Instead, catechists faithfully led the community in prayer.
“It created a desire in me,” he recalled. “I saw the need for priests, and I wanted to help fill that need.” Yet life’s realities almost led him down a different path.
Coming from a poor family of seven children, education and employment became pressing priorities. After completing matric in 1997, financial constraints prevented him from attending university despite being accepted. Instead, he worked in KwaZulu-Natal for six years in a factory. “My dream at that stage was simply to work so that I could support my family,” he explained.
But God was quietly at work. During his fifth year of employment, the desire to become a priest returned with renewed intensity. “I found myself asking, ‘What is it that I must do with my life? Why am I not happy?’”
Although he initially postponed entering the seminary, the persistent call would not leave him. Eventually, in 2004, he entered St Philip Neri Collegium in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), beginning the journey that would lead to priestly ordination. “It was difficult,” he admitted. “Coming from employment where you earn a salary to seminary life was a major adjustment.” He was ordained a deacon in 2011 and, on 10 June 2012, Archbishop Sithembele Sipuka of Cape Town ordained him a priest.
A mother’s prayer fulfilled
Among the most moving moments in Bishop-Elect Phomane’s story is the memory of telling his late mother that he had decided to enter the seminary. “I cannot explain the joy she had,” he recalled.
While one of his younger siblings worried about losing the financial support he had provided, his mother’s reaction revealed something she had kept in her heart for years. “She told us that she had always prayed that at least one of her children would serve God as a priest or as a religious sister.”
For Bishop-Elect Phomane, her words became a confirmation that God had been working long before he recognised His call. His mother lived long enough to witness his priestly ordination in 2012, a memory he treasures deeply.
“Unfortunately, she will not be here to witness my episcopal ordination,” he said quietly.
Shepherding Bethlehem
Since his appointment was announced in April, Bishop-Elect Phomane has immersed himself in learning about the Diocese of Bethlehem. He visited shortly after the announcement to meet Bishop Jan de Groef MAfr and gain an understanding of the pastoral realities of the diocese. He later returned to meet the College of Consultors and the diocesan clergy.
His episcopal motto, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us” (Luke 4:18), reflects the vision he hopes to bring to the diocese. “It is not only about me,” he explained.
“The Holy Spirit is upon me as shepherd, but also upon the people of Bethlehem as the flock of Christ. Together, we will allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit.”
He hopes to strengthen the faith of the people, accompany them through life’s challenges and work collaboratively with the priests and faithful to build up the local Church. “I want to bring hope,” he said. “Together we will continue building the Diocese of Bethlehem.”
Completing the journey
One particularly meaningful aspect of his episcopal ordination is that Archbishop Sithembele Sipuka will serve as principal consecrator. The connection spans Bishop-Elect Phomane’s entire ordained ministry.
“He ordained me a priest in 2012, and now he will ordain me a bishop,” he reflected. “He is completing the sacrament of Holy Orders in my life.”
Archbishop Sipuka has also become an important mentor, offering guidance after the announcement and preparing him for the changes that accompany episcopal ministry. “He spoke to me about the expectations, the changes that would come and the realities of serving as a bishop.”
Living with trust, not certainty
As the day of his episcopal ordination approaches, Bishop-Elect Phomane admits experiencing mixed emotions. “I wouldn’t say I’m excited,” he confessed candidly. “There is anxiety. There are many emotions.”
Watching the recent episcopal ordinations of fellow bishops made the reality of his own appointment increasingly tangible. “The first ordination I attended (of Bishop Amos Mabuti Masemola in Kroonstad Diocese), mine still seemed far away. But after the most recent one (of Bishop Lawrence Ofentse Pheto of Francistown Diocese), I realised, ‘The next one is me.’”
Despite those feelings, his confidence remains firmly rooted in God’s grace. “I pray that those who have placed their trust in me will not be disappointed.” He repeatedly asked the faithful for their prayers as he prepared to begin this new chapter.
A house of prayer
As he prepares to shepherd the Diocese of Bethlehem, Bishop-Elect Phomane returns continually to the Eucharist, which he sees as the heart of diocesan life. “Bethlehem is the house of prayer,” he said. “The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Church’s life. It will be the centre of our life here.”
He promised to remember the faithful whenever he celebrates the Eucharist, asking in return that they remember him in prayer. With humility, simplicity and a deep trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Bishop-Elect Motlatsi Meshack Phomane begins his ministry convinced that the Church’s mission is never carried by one person alone, but by God’s people journeying together in faith.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon us,” he said. “Together, we will be guided by the Holy Spirit.”
Solemn vespers and oath-taking took place on Friday, 3 July 2026, at the Holy Ghost Cathedral; the episcopal ordination on Saturday, 4 July 2026, at the University of the Free State, Mandela Hall, Qwaqwa, and taking of the cathedra on Sunday, 5 July 2026, at the Holy Ghost Cathedral.
- Bishop-Elect Motlatsi Phomane embraces his new mission - July 4, 2026
- Church Celebrates Solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul in union with Pope Leo - July 2, 2026
- Bishop Lawrence Pheto takes possession of the cathedra - July 2, 2026
