For the Catholic Church, marriage is far more than a wedding day. It is one of the Church’s seven sacraments, known as the Sacrament of Matrimony, through which a man and woman enter a lifelong covenant of love and faith.
For Koketso Magodielo, his journey towards this sacrament began many years before he stood beside Keatlegile Huma as her husband.
As a young Catholic growing up at Christ the New Man Catholic Church in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria, Koketso was an active youth member and altar server. It was during those formative years, in the late nineties, that he became familiar with the late Fr Michele D’Annucci (CSS) and the Marriage Preparation Courses he conducted at the parish centre.
Fr Michele’s presence became familiar to the young altar servers. At times, he would ask them to assist with small tasks, while the Sisters of Saint Bridget, who were responsible for the parish centre, would sometimes ask them to help unload groceries from their cars.
Through these simple acts of service, Koketso became aware from a young age of Fr Michele’s ministry and his work preparing couples for marriage. Ironically, marriage was not what Koketso imagined for himself at the time. “My aspiration was to pursue the priesthood,” he recalled.
He was deeply influenced by Fr Michele’s ministry and example. Yet, while discerning a possible vocation to the priesthood, Koketso gradually discovered what he describes as “a vocation within a vocation”, a calling to marriage and family life.
That journey eventually brought him to a marriage preparation workshop facilitated by Mr and Mrs Sofala of Garankuwa, who had themselves been trained by Fr Michele.
“That experience was very meaningful to me because it demonstrated that the formation and vision that Fr Michele had invested in others continued to bear fruit many years after his death,” he said.
For Koketso, there was something significant about discovering that the ministry of the priest who had influenced him as a young man was still bearing fruit in the lives of others, including his own journey towards marriage.
“In that sense, I can say that the spirit of Fr Michele’s ministry is still at work, continuing to influence and shape people even years after his passing.”
That journey reached a significant moment on 26 and 27 September, when Koketso married Keatlegile in a two-day wedding that brought together faith, family and the joy of beginning a new chapter in their lives.
The spiritual preparations began before the wedding weekend, when the Magodielo family gathered at their home for Holy Mass celebrated by their parish priest at Christ the New Man Catholic Church in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria, Fr Donald Magoma (MCCJ). The Mass gave the family an opportunity to pray together and entrust the forthcoming marriage to God.
On Saturday, 26 September, Koketso and Keatlegile were married at Keatlegile’s home church in Atteridgeville, on Pretoria’s western periphery, surrounded by family and friends.
For Koketso, a committed Catholic and parishioner of Christ the New Man, the decision to hold the wedding at the bride’s church required balancing his Catholic faith with African cultural tradition.
“As a staunch and committed Catholic, my wish was always to have my marriage celebrated at my home parish,” he said. “However, when we considered our traditions and cultural practices, it became difficult to do so.”
The arrangements were made with the consultation, guidance and support of his parish priest, with the necessary Catholic protocols and procedures followed.
The choice of the bride’s church reflected the tradition of her home church and community forming part of her farewell as she begins married life and eventually joins her husband’s family.
After the wedding, family and friends gathered at Keatlegile’s family home in Atteridgeville.
Although Keatlegile’s home church is Lutheran, she was already familiar with the Catholic faith. She attended Morekolodi Primary School in Mmakau, a Catholic primary school founded by the Sisters of Mercy and the Stigmatine Fathers near Garankuwa, north of Pretoria. Through the school, she was exposed to the Catholic faith and traditions from a young age.
She has also accompanied Koketso to Holy Mass on countless occasions and attended quite a handful of priestly ordinations.
“Although she has not formally become Catholic, she is already quite familiar with the faith,” Koketso said. “She knows many of our prayers and understands the order and structure of the Mass very well.”
On Sunday, 27 September, the couple’s wedding journey continued at the Magodielo family home in Karen Park, north of Pretoria.
By African tradition, the Sunday gathering marked Keatlegile’s welcome into her husband’s family and home. Having spent the previous day with her own family in Atteridgeville, she was now received into the Magodielo household.
For Koketso, the marriage also marks another chapter in his long relationship with the Church.
Over the years, he has served Christ the New Man in various capacities, including Deputy Chairperson, Parish Chairperson and Liturgy Coordinator. Although he has recently chosen to take a quieter role in parish affairs, he remains involved in parish life.
His journey has taken him from serving at the altar as a young boy, through discerning the priesthood, and ultimately embracing marriage and family life.
For Koketso and Keatlegile, the wedding marks the beginning of a new vocation as husband and wife, bringing together the faith that has shaped Koketso’s life, the traditions of their families and the joy of beginning their life together.
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