For Salesian Brother Clarence Watts, the social communications apostolate is a central part of his vocation. He told Daluxolo Moloantoa about how he decided to become a religious Brother and how he lives out his ministry.
Small moments, quiet and almost unnoticed, can sometimes tell a better story than big events, as Salesian Brother Clarence Watts has learnt in his own life and in his function as a social communicator.
It is this sensitivity to the unseen and the unspoken that has come to define his vocation. Today, working from the Salesian Provincial House in Booysens, Johannesburg, he serves the Church in the congregation’s social communication secretariat, bringing together faith, storytelling, and the power of images to communicate the Salesian charism to the people of South Africa, Africa and, indeed, the world.
Br Clarence, who made his first profession as a lay Brother of the Salesians of Don Bosco at the age of 24 on January 21, 1996, says his vocation brings together faith, an interest in communication, and his long-standing love for photography.
The Salesians are dedicated especially to the service of young people and to active participation in the life of the Church locally and internationally.
From 2009-12, Br Clarence was the director of Salesian Institute Youth Projects in Cape Town, and then coordinator of the Learn-to-Live initiative, among other functions. He says he is “passionate about working with youth”, in line with the Salesian charism of guiding young people to their full potential.
Br Clarence was born on Monday, April 26, 1971, in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), as the youngest of nine children. Over the years, his family has experienced significant loss. Five of his siblings have died; only two brothers and two sisters remain. Both his parents have also passed away.
His paternal grandfather came from Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. The grandfather, whom Br Clarence never met, worked as a cook on a boat. “According to family accounts shared by my father, the boat was shipwrecked off the coast of Gqeberha, which is how my grandfather came to settle there. This unexpected event became the starting point of my family’s life in South Africa,” he told The Southern Cross.
Br Clarence grew up in a close-knit neighbourhood in Gelvandale, and attended Fontein Primary School, located directly opposite his home. Its proximity meant “that I had no excuse to be late”, he recalls. He matriculated in 1989 from St Thomas High School, also in Gelvandale.
First spark of a vocation
One childhood experience has remained particularly clear in Br Clarence’s memory. When he was about six or seven years old, his mother took him and his older brother to Christmas Day Mass at St James church in Schauderville. “During Communion, I joined the line to the altar, not yet understanding the meaning of the Eucharist, but simply doing what I saw others doing. Later that day, I overheard my mother say to my brother: ‘Maybe it’s a sign.’” At the time, he did not grasp the significance of her words as a reference to a vocation in the Church, but years later they took on deeper meaning.
Br Clarence’s awareness of a possible vocation developed gradually. As a young man, he was initially hesitant to become involved in parish activities. This began to change through the influence of his First Communion catechist, Raymond Jacobs. Inspired by Raymond’s example, he became involved in teaching younger children.
A seminal moment came when Sr Marguerite, a Good Shepherd Sister, asked him to assist with teaching confirmation classes. Br Clarence recalls being surprised that she would ask him to take on such responsibility.
“Another moment came after a Mass when a friend, David, asked me directly why I did not consider becoming a priest. The question caught me off-guard, as I had not given the idea much thought,” Br Clarence says. Looking back, he recognises these experiences as moments through which “God was quietly inviting me to reflect more seriously on my life and direction”. Although Clarence did not respond immediately, he eventually accepted the call.
Self-taught photographer
At the same time, another interest was taking shape. His late sister, Patricia Jonas, often took the family into the city and photographed them with her Kodak camera, including pictures taken in the garden next to the Public Library of Port Elizabeth. “Although I did not own a camera back then, I was drawn to photography and the way images preserved memories and told stories,” Br Clarence says. “Over the years, this interest developed naturally. With the introduction of camera phones, my engagement with photography increased significantly.” He has never received formal training, describing his photography instead as “something learned through practice and observation”.
His photographic interests are varied. “I enjoy nature photography, including sunrises, sunsets, storms over Johannesburg, beaches, mountains, and wide open landscapes,” he explains. He also likes photographing people when they are not posing, capturing natural and unrehearsed moments. In addition, he has an interest in micro photography, which allows him to focus on small details. Photography, he says, is a form of expression and storytelling.
His interests in photography and social communications converge. Br Clarence is involved in capturing and sharing the stories of ordinary people, particularly their journeys of faith. He serves as editor of the local Salesian bulletin, Don Bosco Echo, continuing a tradition established by Don Bosco in 1877, when the Salesian Bulletin was founded as a means of sharing good news. He understands his work as contributing to the Church’s mission by communicating the Gospel through stories, images and modern media.
He uses a multimedia approach. Br Clarence is active on social media, and offers reflections on his YouTube channel from St John Bosco church in Robertsham, Johannesburg.
In a world shaped by rapid technological change, including the growth of smartphones and artificial intelligence, he sees communication as an important tool for the Church. “While much public discourse is marked by negative news, I feel called to focus on stories that are constructive and faith-centred.”
Through his work in social communication and his love of photography, Br Clarence says he continues to “serve the Church as a listener, storyteller, and witness to the everyday presence of faith in people’s lives”.
Published in the April 2026 issue of The Southern Cross Magazine
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