By Bp José Luis IMC
Just a few days’ ago Fr Giorgio Massa IMC celebrated his Golden Jubilee. He was ordained priest on 23 December 1967. After his ordination he was in London for a short time before arriving in Cape Town (South Africa) where he had been sent for further studies. In the mind of the superiors he would then be sent to Kenya or Tanzania. Just that, in 1971 the Consolata Missionaries started a pastoral presence in the country in what was then the “Prefecture of Volskrust” (became “Diocese of Dundee in 1983).
Between that time and 2011 he spent most of his time in the Diocese of Dundee: Piet Retief, – Pongola, Damesfontein, Embalenhle, Madadeni… He also served for a short time in Mamelodi (Archdiocese of Pretoria) and Daveyton (Archdiocese of Johannesburg).
Back in Italy he was appointed to Plati in Calabria and … in 2014 he was appointed to our Diocese of Manzini (Swaziland). As he sometimes jokingly says: “I divide my week between being a nanny to the bishop and serving the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows”.
As we have known each other since 1994 when I arrived in South Africa, I was very much aware that “he would not allow me” to organize a celebration for his golden jubilee. That is why I did it without telling him. With the support (complicity?) of priests and religious sisters, we came together at Our Lady of Sorrows the day before the anniversary.
He was busy confessing people for Christmas and therefore never saw us arriving. By the time he finished we were all there. He could not say no. It would be a simple and familiar celebration: Mass, few speeches by Fr Rocco Marra IMC in the name of the Consolata Missionaries, Fr Peter Ndwandwe in the name of the diocese and Sr Teresita Schiavon OSM in the name of the Mantellate Sisters at Our Lady of Sorrows. All followed by lunch.
Read more: bhubesi.blogspot.com
Click below for photos of the event (Flickr)
