Author Archive: Archdiocese of Cape Town

Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace

As the faithful filled the Paul VI Hall for his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV once again turned his heart toward the world’s troubled lands. With the liturgical celebration of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary approaching on Friday, 22 August, he called on believers everywhere to observe the day with prayer and fasting for peace. “Mary is the Mother of the faithful here on earth and is remembered as the Queen of Peace,” the Pope reminded them. In a world still scarred by wars in the Holy Land, Ukraine, and beyond, he urged everyone to join in “a day of prayer and fasting” for all who suffer from conflict, “imploring the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to wipe away the tears of those who suffer because of ongoing armed conflicts.” “May Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede so that people may find the path of peace,” he added.
#queenshipoftheblessedvirginmary #PopeLeoXIV #GeneralAudience #fastingandprayer #ukraine #peace #shalomworldnews

Archdiocese Jubilee Mass

ALL parishes are encouraged to come together for this Jubilee event (+/- 10 from each parish, plus clergy and religious).

Celebration of Priests’ Jubilees

Cardinal Stephen Brislin celebrated Mass and preached at a special jubilee celebration for 18 priests celebrating their silver and golden jubilees of ordination to the priesthood at St Michael’s, Rondebosch on 18 August 2025. Below is his homily on the occasion.

Congratulations to all who are officially celebrating their 25th or 50th priestly jubilees today, even if the actual date was during the time of Covid when we could not gather together for a celebration. It is important for us to be together today to acknowledge the ministry of those who are celebrating, to thank them and to thank God for the service they have given to the Church through the grace that he has given to them over many years. Each of you has his own story to tell on how you became priests, the struggles that you have had, the people you have encountered and the joy that you have experienced in your priesthood. You have much to share of your experiences in ministry but perhaps more importantly, you have much to share about what priesthood has meant to you, the highs and the lows, how you have lived priesthood in terms of your relationship with God and how priesthood has changed you as a person. For most of us our stories will never fully be told, they remain between us and God because priesthood is ultimately a personal and an intimate experience between the priest and God. The ministry, the exterior manifestation of priesthood that can be observed, is only part of the story. Today, you who celebrate your anniversaries, are invited to give thanks to God in that interior forum, as we do, too, in thanksgiving for your priesthood as well as our own.

One thing you will be very aware of is how priesthood has changed over the years in terms of its challenges and adaptations to the modern world. In essence it remains the same priesthood given by Jesus Christ and handed on by the Apostles. But since society changes so the outreach and service of the priest must change in order to fulfil the needs of the time. As priests, we not only read the signs of the times but also the unfolding of these signs and what they mean for the future. The priesthood is not only ministerial; substantially it is also prophetic. In the confusion and upheaval of our own times there are clear risks that are present and evolving. We are in an age that is characterised by misinformation, manipulation of facts and the manipulation of the media. Social media, bots and AI can convincingly spew out falsehoods and absolute lies for the purpose of social manipulation and domination over people. To preach Christ, who is the truth, is the responsibility of every priest. Truth has always been hated and rejected by those who are intent on domination. For present priests and for those who are coming after us, this is a major challenge we face to counteract deception and those who would lead others away from truth. Rootedness in the Gospel and in the tradition of the Church is the antidote to the lure of the illusions that are created through falsehoods.

Falsehoods and duplicitous talk are being used to undermine and attack the rule of law and democratic structures which are designed to protect the dignity of each human person. As with every human structure, democracy has its weaknesses and is imperfect; yet, in terms of the tyranny of the past – not least the horrors of the 2nd world war and the holocaust – lives, as well as human dignity, need protection. The thought of a return of fascism is horrific and yet we would be blind not to recognize that possibility – the signs are there, although we do not know how they will play out. Priests need, and will increasingly need in the future, to have the courage to speak out in defence of life – life at every stage. From womb to tomb, as we say. Vocations may be diminishing and they will, perhaps, diminish even more. What is important is that those who offer themselves in priesthood must be men of courage, unafraid to speak the truth, to promote justice, to gather people together, not to divide and to always stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and the weak.

And there are many who are vulnerable, not only in the ways that we customarily think of the vulnerable – children, the elderly, the mentally or physically challenged. Young people are vulnerable as they struggle to progress in the life; the poor encounter a ceiling that prevents them from breaking out of their poverty. The mighty dollar is the new god that is used to further enrich the rich and to keep the poor poor. More and more people find themselves in the situation of which Pope Francis warned – that people are at the mercy of an anonymous economy rather than the economy being at the service of people. It is a subtle form of a new slavery.

In all of this we are reminded of our own need, of those committed to the truth and to service, to live the truth ourselves. In a corrupt world of deception, our lives must not be corrupted by duplicity or hypocrisy. What we preach is what we must live. Unlike the rich young man, we need to clarify our motivation and to know the treasure in which our heart lies. Disillusionment among people abounds. Disillusionment with leaders, political and economic systems. In a broken world people question: who can be trusted, who can I confide in, where can I get support? It is for we, entrusted with the noble calling of priesthood, to be instruments of hope for people, so that they can see beyond what is to what is possible and achievable. We too, who rejoice in our priesthood with deep gratitude, must be the conduit to others of the joy which comes from God that can lighten the hearts of the heavily burdened.

We face our own burdens. We have our own disillusionments. We are often burdened with multiple responsibilities and expectations. At times loneliness, isolation and fatigue overtake us. Intimacy with God is the source of both strength and calmness for our hearts and souls. In the words of Pope Benedict: “If the priest is a man of God, he cannot fail to cultivate a deep intimacy with God… Prayer is the first form of witness which awakens vocations.” In a noisy world, priests are called to first be men of prayer, witnessing to the presence of God not just in words, but in the quality of their lives. Another source of our strength is found in each other – fraternity among priests. Regrettably this is so often lacking and yet is essential for us to know that we are not alone but that we can depend on each others. Jealousy and the many other issues that exist among us hurt us all and diminish us as priests. It is incumbent on us, whether we like or dislike some of our confreres, to strive for unity and mutual support.

Once again, to all the jubilarians – congratulations. May God grant you many more years. Thank you for being priests, thank you for your ministry and thank you for who you are. May God grant you many more years and may they be filled with an abundance of joy, happiness and peace. Let us continue to pray for and support each other, that we may be agents of change and hope, and that we remain always faithful to our calling as priests.

Cardinal Stephen Brislin

PPC Elections

Should you wish to read this article in the Archdiocesan News, please click here: https://adct.org.za/wp-content/uploads/ad-news-2-3-of-2025.pdf

Across the Archdiocese of Cape Town and in the coming months (August – October), we will be having Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Elections. Each PPC is elected to serve a term of three years, so this is an important process that affects every parish, and indeed every parishioner.

The parish is a home, a family, a community of communities.

In the Great Commission (Matt 28: 19-20 ) Jesus says “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and know that I am with until the close of the age.” This is the Church’s missionary mandate, and it follows that this is the core mission of every parish – our purpose.
“The Parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration.” Evangelii Gaudium #28

The parish is the place where people encounter Jesus and live their shared faith as believed and celebrated through a community. It is a place where people feel they belong and where they give of their time, talents and expertise, for the benefit of others and for the glory of God. It is a place of sanctuary, where the thirsty rest on their journey of life, and it acts as a ‘field hospital’ where the hurt and wounded go for healing. The parish focusses on encouraging and forming members so that they reach out to others, even beyond the parish, with the Good News to achieve its core missionary mandate.

The Parish Pastoral Council
The parish priest (with the assistant priest and deacon(s)), vicar of and appointed by the Archbishop, leads the parish, and the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is there to assist, support and offer counsel to the parish priest. The PPC’s purpose is therefore to provide effective participation of clergy and laity in all the parish’s pastoral life to achieve the Missionary Mandate of the church.

The PPC is governed by the Archdiocese Statutes 2022 which describe how PPC’s should operate and organise in order to achieve this mission. These statutes in turn conform with the SACBC Pastoral Plan.

The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) is made up of people who have been elected to represent the members of the parish. The priest can also appoint members for their particular expertise and knowledge of the parish. In addition, there are ex-officio members (eg Child Safeguarding, PFC representative), and representatives from religious orders and secular institutes present in the parish. Each parish is unique and the exact details and number for each parish may vary depending on its needs.

All pastoral parish life is expressed through seven portfolios that are represented on the PPC:

Liturgy (all our worship), Faith Formation (adult and catechism), Evangelization (how we reach out beyond the parish), Parish Community Building (forming communities within communities and loving, caring relationships); Youth and young adults (supporting the younger generations – the future of the Church), Marriage and Family (nurturing the domestic church), and Community Engagement (caring for our world and environment and those outside our parish with outreach and acts of charity in justice & peace).

The Elections
The PPC Elections will be held in each of the parishes and some guidelines have been provided to assist and guide this process. Also, some resources have been prepared and are available to parishes that can be accessed via the Parish Alive website at https://parishalive.com/ppc-elections-2025/

The Election is a broad process, and each parish may decide its precise process.

Awareness and Planning: This is a time for the priest and PPC’s to plan their elections. It is a time to communicate to parishioners what a PPC is and explain the election procedure. This is also a time for people to discern their role in the parish, where God is calling them and what gifts they have to share with the Church.

Nominations: During this time, people are nominated for the PPC.It may be easy to think of the portfolios and where people can serve best. When the nominations are in, they are published so that everyone in the parish can get to know more about the nominees.
Elections: Over a specified weekend the actual voting will take place. Ballot papers will be issued and anyone who is a registered parishioner and who has been confirmed may vote.

After the voting has taken place, the votes are counted and the final PPC structure is decided and announced.

Handover and Transition: The new PPC will elect the Executive (PPC chair, vice chair and secretary). This is also an important time for the outgoing PPC to give a quality handover to the new PPC to ensure that they are equipped to carry the baton of leadership into the coming years.

Thanks
As we go through the process of Elections and look to the future, we also express our deep appreciation to those who have served on the PPC in the past years. Many people on the outgoing PPC’s have served two terms and therefore given 6 years of service to the church. We also recall that many of these outgoing members of the PPC served through the difficult time of COVID. It is a time we barely remember but it was a dark time for the church and the world, and we are forever grateful to the Lord for carrying us through these times.
White Smoke – First and foremost a prayerful election

As we enter these Elections, let us remember and follow the remarkable example that we witnessed of the conclave earlier this year in which Pope Leo XIV was elected as the successor to St Peter. Our own Cardinal Stephen Brislin, who was in the Sistine Chapel, described the process as being immensely calm with the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. He described the unity of all the cardinals in the process. The whole Catholic church watched with bated breath and rejoiced when on the second day, white smoke billowed from the famous chimney in St Peters square. We are not electing a Pope, but we are electing servant leaders who will lead our parishes for the next three years. Above all else, let us do this prayerfully. Let us put aside politics and follow the example set for us a few months. Let us pray hard and make room for the Holy Spirit to work in us and in our parishes.

Engaged Encounter Weekend

For those getting married or thinking about getting married, Catholic Engaged Encounter offer one more weekend this year to prepare for your lifetime commitment. Please see details below.

THIRTY YEARS OF FAITHFUL WITNESS

Archdiocesan News Marks a Milestone in the Jubilee Year

Bishop Sylvester David OMI reflects on the 30th anniversary of the Archdiocesan News,

In a year imbued with grace and reflection, as the global Church celebrates the Jubilee Year 2025 under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” the Archdiocesan News marks an extraordinary milestone: thirty years of continuous publication in service of the Church in Cape Town. This anniversary is more than a commemoration of years; it is a testimony to perseverance, prophetic witness, and the shared faith journey of our local Catholic community.

A Voice for the Archdiocese
Founded in 1995, in the wake of South Africa’s democratic transition, Archdiocesan News emerged as a much-needed platform for the Church to speak, teach, and listen; both within and beyond the pews. Over three decades, it has chronicled the life of the local Church: from the voices of young catechumens and jubilarians, to synodal listening sessions, vocations, pastoral outreach, and stories of hope from our parishes, schools, and missions.The publication has grown from a modest quarterly newsletter into a vital communication tool, reaching Catholics across the Archdiocese and beyond. Through the work of dedicated editors, contributors, clergy, and laity, it has borne consistent witness to the Gospel amid changing social, political, and technological landscapes.

Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
This year, the Church has been invited into a sacred time of pilgrimage and renewal, a Jubilee. With its roots in the biblical tradition of liberation, rest, and restoration, the Jubilee Year calls the faithful to reconciliation with God, neighbour, and creation.

Locally, Archdiocesan News has embraced this invitation by highlighting pilgrimages, parish missions, the reopening of Holy Doors, and testimonies of spiritual renewal. The themes of mercy, healing, and ecological conversion echoing Laudato Si’, and the recent Laudate Deum have found their way into the pages of each issue.

In a time when the world is marked by conflict, climate crises, and a hunger for meaning, the Church’s mission to be a beacon of hope is more vital than ever. The publication has remained committed to amplifying stories that reflect the resilience and solidarity of the faithful, from social justice ministries to the tireless work of Catholic healthcare, Caritas, and education professionals.

Walking Together: A Synodal Church
In alignment with the spirit of the ongoing Synod on Synodality, Archdiocesan News has championed the Church’s call to journey together. Through special features, interviews, and community voices, the paper has fostered a deeper awareness of synodality as a lived reality and not just a concept. It has provided space for dialogue, lament, gratitude, and dreaming; a true accompaniment of the people of God.

Looking Ahead with Gratitude
As we celebrate thirty years, we also give thanks for all who have contributed: from founding editors and publishers, layout designers to parish correspondents, photographers, and readers. Their commitment has shaped Archdiocesan News into more than just a publication. It has become a ministry.

Looking ahead, the mission continues. In the words of St. Paul, “We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Cor 4:5). As the Archdiocese embraces the Jubilee invitation to hope and mission, Archdiocesan News renews its commitment to proclaiming Christ, and to journeying with the people of Cape Town in faith, justice, and love.

Ad multos annos. Here’s to many more years as pilgrims of hope, walking together.

+ Sylvester David OMI
Auxiliary Bishop of Cape Town

Archdiocesan News 30 Year Edition

HOT OFF THE DIGITAL PRESS: This edition celebrates a 30 year collaboration of the Archdiocesan News with its regular contributors: Thirty Years of Faithful Witness by Bishop Sylvester David OMI; Parish Pastoral Council Elections 2025; Youth Battle of the Bands and Jubilee for Young People pilgrimage to Rome; Two new Deacons for Cape Town; Pope Leo receives Kiko Arguello; Jubilee Prayer Series; St Kizito’s celebrate Compassion and Community (and the 30 year anniversary of the AD News); Salesian Youth Projects celebrate milestones; Jubilee Choir Festival at the City Hall; Nurturing Hope in Welcome Estate; Kolping South Africa in photos; A Seminarian’s reflection on Vocation and Gratitude; What’s Up Stella Maris?; A Laudato Si’ Journey from 2015; Hitting the High Notes at the Catholic Choral Festival; Justice + Peace take a walk down memory lane; Operation New Broom and other interesting articles from the CPLO

AD NEWS 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION DOWNLOAD

Parish Pastoral Council Elections

 

PPC Elections

During the months August – October, we will be having PPC elections in all parishes across the diocese of Cape Town.
It is a process of Awareness, Nominations, Elections and finally the installation of the PPC by November.
There are resources available for all parishes to download from the Parish Alive website at
https://parishalive.com/ppc-elections-2025/

Go to this webpage to download posters, presentations, webinar, templates, prayers, forms, handbook and more…

We learnt a lot from the Conclave election process of our beloved new Pope Leo XIV. We are the church and so our processes are guided by the Holy Spirit. We pray for our elections in each parish, where we too can have our own white smoke signifying the spiritual presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our elections.

Let Us Pray Jubilee Prayer Series Season II

We are delighted to announce the latest JUBILEE PRAYER SERIES – LET US PRAY Season II that is now available for all parishes. It is a 3 part series ideal for small faith sharing groups. You can read more and download the booklet from the Archdiocese Jubilee 2025 website
https://jubilee2025-capetown.com/prayer-series-let-us-pray-season-ii-2025/
All parishes are encouraged to run this series in Aug/early Sept before the Archdiocese Jubilee Mass on 14 Sept. It is available in English now and by the end of July will also be available in Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
If you have any questions, please contact Alison Dunn on alisondunn1957@gmail.com.