Irish Missionaries in South Africa – Poverty, Chastity and (d)is-Obedience
A new documentary charts the experience of Irish missionaries under apartheid and afterwards. Günther Simmermacher watched the film — and...
Simmermacher
Was St Joseph Chaste?
Question: I would like to know whether St Joseph was celibate during his marriage to Mary. Was the marriage never...
Father Cyril Axelrod: New Ways of Communicating God’s Love
Redemptorist Father Cyril Axelrod cannot hear nor see, but he always finds new ways of communicating God’s love. Günther...
Long Haul: 20 Years as Southern Cross Editor
In February 2001, Günther Simmermacher became the editor of The Southern Cross. Here he reflects on the past 20 years,...
1951: When the Southern African Church Grew Up
70 years ago Pope Pius XII established the Southern African hierarchy. It was the moment the local Church grew up....
Where Did the Holy Family Hide in Egyptian Exile?
Question: Joseph took Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt when King Herod ordered the massacre of the Innocents. But how...
How my friend lost his bitterness
A moving story he heard at a friend’s funeral got Günther Simmermacher thinking about the corrosive effects of anger and...
Archbishop Abel Gabuza 1955-2021
In August Archbishop Abel Gabuza wrote a reflection on the coronavirus pandemic. “Let your half-full cup be the source of...
How will you stop the corruption, Mr President?
Beyond the noise and bluster of those who make it their business to issue noise and bluster, we cannot blame...
