Fr Chris Townsend: Diary of an Iron Padre
Fr Chris Townsend pumps iron at gym. Working out is an important part of his daily routine, as a means of managing stress and for health purposes.
Fr Chris Townsend
Our International Catholicism Makes Us the Universal Church
Our Catholicism has always been very international — from the missionaries passing but not disembarking at the Cape to the later generations from France, Ireland and Germany who were our primary missionaries
Let Our Churches Be Works of Art
I’ve been thinking about how we in South Africa — like many other places —are struggling with what our churches mean and should look like. I’ve been thrown into this struggle in the last few years when I’ve become responsible for renovation and restoration projects that preserve and enhance our Catholic legacy.
We Must Share Dangerous Memories
“To keep a dangerous memory alive, we need to tell and hear our South African story. We need to find a unifying narrative that allows us all...
What Would Jesus Really Do?
There are a few moments in the life of the parish priest when his quiet, comfortable day is disturbed so thoroughly that it ruins not only the...
Why We Need A Synod on Priesthood
The Vatican is preparing for the Synod of Bishops on Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment. Unusually, the lineamenta — as the prepatory discussion documents are called —...
Contemplative Nuns: We Need Them!
Fr Chris Townsend – One of the functional jokes in the priesthood goes something along the lines that listening to the confessions of religious Sisters, particularly contemplative...
We Need A Child-Centred South Africa
In the midst of the political muddle that is South Africa, we need to re-vision a defining ideal. Part of the frustration and disillusionment of the current...
Lent as the Cure for Greed Addiction
I would never have thought of myself as greedy. It’s just not who I am — to myself. Yes, I do like good food and comfort food,...
10 Percent: Why I Tithe
Father Chris Townsend is a priest who tithes. Here he explains how this practice has become a part of his life I give a tenth of my...
