JOURNEYS OF LIFE
The painting on the front cover entitled “The disciples of Emmaus” reflects our journey of hope. Jesus not only walks with us, but gives us the wisdom to perform our ministries and opens our eyes to see Him in the people that we are serving.
FRONTIERS • CENTENERY
100 YEARS OF COMBONI PRESENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA (1924-2024)
It all started with a small group of missionaries. They stood out for their commitment to establishing the local Church and for the human integral development of the population.
BY
Frs Efrem Tresoldi & Fabio Baldan MCCJ
Summary by | Fr Rafael Armada MCCJ
THE COMBONI MISSIONARIES (MCCJ) are celebrating their 100th Anniversary of their presence in South Africa. Following an internal division within the then recently founded Comboni missionary congregation, a group of 14 German speaking missionaries, priests and brothers, left Sudan in December 1923. They arrived in South Africa on 11 February 1924. The Holy See assigned them the Vicariate of Lydenburg, an area where there were a few Catholics, a couple of hundred gold diggers hailing from Europe.
They built structures, schools, hospitals and chapels and formed communities, establishing more than 20 parishes.
Their first mission station was named Maria Trost, in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga. They bought a farm, as this was the only way to be able to settle as white missionaries in South Africa at this specific time. They were entrusted the area which currently comprises Witbank Diocese as their territory to be evangelised. With great effort, they built structures, schools, hospitals and chapels and formed communities, establishing more than 20 parishes in the Diocese. Throughout the years these have been handed over to local clergy or other religious congregations for their administration. Currently, the MCCJ remain in the parishes of Lydenburg, Waterval (Bushbuckridge) and Acornhoek in the above-mentioned Diocese. Moreover, in the past decades the MCCJ have been entrusted parishes in the Dioceses of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Kokstad (no longer present) and Durban.
Launching of the Centenary
To commemorate this remarkable anniversary, one year-round celebrations have been planned. The launching of these events took place on 14 October 2023 in Maria Trost, Lydenburg, where a joyful congregation of some 250 people gathered for the occasion. The attendants included priests of the diocese of Witbank and sisters of various congregations as well as lay Catholics with close ties to the MCCJ. Among the distinguished guests were Mons. Xolelo Thaddaeus Kumalo, the Bishop of Witbank Diocese and Mons. Dario Paviša, Chargé d’Affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature in Pretoria.
The historical developments are captured in the book “Walking with God’s people”.
In his opening speech Father John Baptist Keraryo Opargiw, the Provincial Superior in South Africa, thanked God for the confreres who preceded, and gave their lives in service of God and His people in the area. He also expressed his gratitude for the local people who had welcomed them in the past and continue to do so today. Fathers Fabio Baldan and John Maneschg, both guests from abroad who came for the occasion and who had previously worked in South Africa for many years, were given the opportunity to address the participants. They highlighted the pioneer missionaries who first arrived in the country, and their particular contribution to the growth of the local Church; outstanding figures were mentioned, such as Mons Johann Riegler, the first Comboni bishop of the Diocese of Witbank, who, ahead of his time, saw inculturation as an integral part of evangelization. In his presentation, Fr Efrem Tresoldi explained how the local Church was established, showing pictures of parish churches, of confreres and their work in education, health care and development, often in collaboration with religious sisters. These historical developments are captured in the book “Walking with God’s people”, based on the work of Fr Konrad Nefzger: “The Comboni Missionaries in South Africa (1924-1994)”, which was re-edited and published for the launching of the centenary celebration.
The pioneers
Part of the intervention of Fr Fabio Baldan was dedicated to a brief presentation of the lives of the 14 Comboni missionaries who first arrived in the country.
The Centenary celebration, according to Fr Fabio, was an opportunity to give thanks for the commitment and work done in the evangelization of the Catholic Church in South Africa; to remember with gratitude those who gave their lives for the spreading of the Gospel; and also, to purify the memories and to hand them over to next generations.
Among those who were highlighted during Fr Fabio’s intervention were the pioneers who first arrived in the country: the 14 missionaries who left Cairo on 3 December 1923 and arrived in South Africa on 11 February 1924. These are their names and short biographies.
Br. KARL KLODT was born in Dortmund, Germany on 16.12.1864. Carpenter by profession, he spent 30 years in Egypt and Sudan before arriving in South Africa at the age of 59. He died in Lydenburg on 22.05.1941 at the age of 76 and was buried in Maria Trost.
Br. ALEXANDER CYGAN was born in Biskupice-Zabrze, Poland on 18.02.1865. He was a builder, a mechanic, a jack of all trades. He worked in Egypt from 1894 to 1901 and in Khartoum in Sudan from 1901 to 1923. He arrived in South Africa at the age of 58. He died in Maria Trost on 30.04.1963 at the age of 98.
Br. JOSEF HUBER was born in Gschwendt, Austria on 03.03.1880. A carpenter by profession, he worked in Sudan from 1908 until 1923. He arrived in South Africa at the age of 43. He died in Johannesburg on 10.09.1954 at the age of 74. Buried in Maria Trost.
Br. RAPHAEL KOLENC was born in Ševnica, Slovenia on 23.05.1879. He was a farmer and spent 3 years in Sudan from 1920 to 1923. He arrived in South Africa at the age of 55. He worked here for 15 years, was recalled to his home country and could not return to South Africa. He died in Stična, Slovenia on 29.05.1965 at the age of 86.
Br. KARL SCHMID was born in Schwabmünchen, Germany on 19.01.1881. A farmer and blacksmith, he worked in Sudan from 1916 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 42. He died in Maria Trost on 02.12.1968 at the age of 87.
FR. HUGO ILLE was born in Obertrauden, Czech Republic on 09.12.1893. He worked in Sudan from 1920 to 1924 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 30. After twenty years, he had to return to his country because of health issues. He died in Mellatz, Germany on 20.11.1960 at the age of 66.
Fr. ALOIS IPFELKOFER was born in Mirskofen, Germany on 5.05.1885. He worked in Sudan from 1911 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 38. After ten years, he was asked to start a new mission station in the mountains of Peru. He died in Pozuzo, Peru on 25.3.1948 at the age of 62.
FR. JOSEPH MUSAR was born in Radece, Slovenia on 08.10.1889. He worked in Sudan from 1920 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 33. He did not stay in the country for long because he was elected Superior General of the Congregation in Germany. He died in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 29.03.1973 at the age of 83.
MSG. DANIEL KAUCZOR was born in Strzeleczki, Poland on 22.07.1885. He worked in Sudan from 1913 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 38. He only stayed in the country for three years. He died in Padova, Italy on 31.01.1947 at the age of 62.
Fr. BERNHARD ZORN “Baba Zulu” was born in Kesseling, Germany on 20.09.1872. He worked in Sudan from 1903 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 51. He stayed with the Marian Hill missionaries for one year learning the Zulu language. He taught catechism with the same manual used in Marian Hill and established the first Catholic community in Mashishing. He died, stung by bees, in Barberton, Mpumalanga on 11.04.1942 at the age of 69 and was buried in Maria Trost.
FR. JOSEPH KLASSERT was born in Silges, Germany on 21.04.1888. He worked in Sudan from 1913 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 35. He died in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga on 06.06.1951 at the age of 63.
FR. JOSEPH ANGERER was born in Lambach, Austria on 11.11.1887. He worked in Sudan from 1914 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 36. He was given the opportunity to learn Zulu for one year. He died in White River, Mpumalanga on 02.02.1971 at the age of 83.
Fr. KARL FISCHER was born in Schlackenwert, Czech Republic on 28.2.1886. He worked in Sudan from 1911 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 37. He died in Lydenburg on 28.11.1972 at the age of 86.
FR. STEPHAN BERGER was born in Szentantal, Hungary on 21.12.1893. He worked in Egypt from 1921 to 1923 and arrived in South Africa at the age of 30. He was asked to start a new mission station in Peru. He died in Lima, on 28.12. 1973 at the age of 80.
The centenary celebrations will continue throughout 2024. They will be hosted by the following Dioceses: The Archdiocese of Pretoria on 17 February and the Archdiocese of Durban on 12 May. The closing celebration will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Johannesburg on 12 October.
FORMER ENEMIES IN A HAVEN OF PEACE
Mons. Paride Taban, Bishop Emeritus of Torit initiated, in 2004, a Peace Village on the banks of the Kuron River, a hilly area of Southern Sudan where different ethnic groups of pastoralists live side by side. Dedicated to the Trinity as a perfect symbol of communion, the village aims to be a focus of hope, peace and reconciliation for a land whose social fabric has been destroyed by the armed conflict and discrimination.