MAMI Lesotho Hosts Gala Dinner to Reopen Closed Formation Houses

The Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate (MAMI) Lesotho hosted a prestigious gala dinner at the Maria Mabasotho Oblate Pastoral Centre on October 31, 2026, marking a critical step in a series of fundraising initiatives aimed at reviving the local Church’s foundational structures.

The primary objective of the event is to raise crucial funds for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) Lesotho Province to operationalise their formation houses, which were recently forced to close their doors due to severe financial distress. In addition to local operational costs, the Oblates carry the heavy financial responsibility of funding tuition and living expenses for their seminarians, who must be sent to major formation houses and houses of study outside the country.

The evening’s first keynote speaker, Justice Mabatsoeneng Hlaele, offered an insightful address intersecting civil law and church administration. Justice Hlaele noted that the foundational legal frameworks administering Lesotho are deeply rooted in the Ten Commandments.

Illustrating this connection through the lens of family law, she pointed out that within Lesotho’s legal framework, marriage is recognised strictly as a union between a man and a woman, reflecting the traditional Christian understanding of creation.

Justice Hlaele further contextualised the maxim “charity begins at home” within both legal and spiritual parameters. She urged families to honour their domestic obligations, explicitly calling for wives to respect their husbands and for husbands to love their wives. Emphasising that this scriptural law of mutual love and respect is absolute and unconditional, she made a direct appeal to husbands to financially sustain and support their wives. She observed that because women remain the most fervent supporters and pillars of the parish communities, empowering them financially directly ensures the growth and sustainability of the broader Church.

Supporting this call to action, Fr. Semethe Tsita, the national chaplain for MAMI, made an earnest appeal to the faithful. He urged the laity to actively support MAMI’s fundraising projects, reminding them that these efforts are directly geared toward uplifting, strengthening, and securing the future of the Oblate community in Lesotho.

The Provincial of the Oblates in Lesotho and Botswana, Fr. Stephen Molefi, OMI, anchored the event in the historical charism of the congregation. He narrated the enduring vision of their founder, St. Eugene De Mazenod, whose singular desire was to preach the Gospel to the poor and serve the most disadvantaged communities.

Fr. Molefi explained that St. Eugene gathered a small group of close, dedicated priests to join his mission, ultimately drafting a Constitution and Rules to guide their common life and ministry. Today, more than 200 years after those rules were formally approved and accepted by Rome, they continue to guide the global community. Fr. Molefi reminded the audience that the foundational pillar of De Mazenod’s vision of missionary service is to always serve the people of God with love.

Injecting a spirit of Christian joy into the evening, the local comedian popularly known as Makhubelu took to the stage. He kept attendees laughing heartily while seamlessly delivering a deeper message on the evangelical call to be joyful at all times. Makhubelu lamented that a culture of chronic unhappiness and anger has made the social landscape of the country increasingly difficult, urging the faithful to reclaim a spirit of joy as a witness to their faith.

As the evening drew to a close, the program director, Fr. Charles Tumo Matsoso, OMI, invited the attendees to make formal financial pledges to support the ongoing needs of the Oblate Province. Dedicated pledge leaders were subsequently nominated to organise and lead the collection process.

The Oblates of Mary Immaculate currently serve the poor in 73 countries across the globe, with active plans underway to establish new missionary footprints in three additional countries in the near future.