The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
POPE Francis has appointed Reverend Father Raphael Macebo Mabuza Ncube as the new and second black bishop of the Catholic Church’s Hwange Diocese.
Rev Ncube (47) has been a Formator/lecturer at the national major seminary in Chishawasha before his appointment as bishop elect for Hwange, taking over from the Right Reverend Jose Alberto Serrano Anton who has resigned. Rev Serrano (79) was appointed Hwange Bishop in December 2006, succeeding Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu who had been transferred to the Archdiocese of Harare in June 2004.
In a statement, the Apostolic Nunciature in Zimbabwe said Bishop Serrano will assume the role of Apostolic Administrator for Hwange Diocese until his successor formally takes over.
“The Holy Father (Pope Francis) has accepted the resignation from the Pastoral care of the Diocese of Hwange and has appointed Reve Fr Raphael Macebo Mabuza Ncube, until now Formator at the national major seminary in Chishawasha, the new bishop of Hwange. At the same time Pope Francis has appointed Right Reverend Jose Alberto Serrano Anton Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Hwange until the taking of position of the new bishop,” read the statement.
Rev Ncube assumed shepherd’s role for a diocese that has grown from an Apostolic Prefecture that was established in 1953 before being promoted to a diocese in 1963 and renamed from Diocese of Wankie to Diocese of Hwange in 1988.
Then it used to incorporate Gokwe which was separated in 1991 when Gokwe Diocese was established. Currently Hwange Diocese covers Hwange, Victoria Falls, Binga, and parts of Lupane north of Shabula River, with the other part falling under the Archdiocese of Bulawayo.
Rev Ncube becomes the sixth bishop for the diocese since its formation in 1953, the other being Franceso Font Garcia, Domingo Ros Arraiza, Ignacio Prieto Vega (all late), Archbishop and Rev Serrano. The church has significantly grown in Hwange from about 19 000 members in 1970, making 6,7 percent of the 290 000 of the whole administrative area where the diocese covers, to over 41 000, making 9,5 percent of the 433 000 population.
There are 26 parishes excluding outstations, 36 priests and close to 100 Sisters. There are seven Catholic schools in the diocese. In an interview, Nkayi-born Rev Ncube said he was bringing unity and continuity to the diocese.
“Coming from the direction of faith I should say it is God’s will and I find myself very small in relation to the responsibility I am being given. I am humbled by the fact that bishops, priests and everyone in Hwange worked together so hard to develop the diocese. They had Synod which shows growth of the church. I am coming to present myself to the people. I am not coming with something but I would want all of us to work together, not departing from what has been going on,” he said.
He was born on 4 October 1973 in Nkayi District and entered the preparatory seminary of Mazowe between 1993 and 1994.
He received his philosophical formation between 1994 and 1996. From 1997 to 2000 he carried out his studies in theology in the National Seminary of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More and was ordained a priest on 3 February 2001.
He served as parish vicar and parish priest at Embakwe Mission in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South (2001-2003), rector of Saint Bernard’s Minor Seminary in Bulawayo (2003-2007), parish priest of Saint Bernard’s and Saint Adolph Ludigo, also in Bulawayo between 2004-2005.
Rev Ncube studied in Rome at the Pontifical Theological Faculty-Pontifical Institute of Spirituality Teresianum between 2008 and 2015 and was awarded a licentiate and doctorate. He went on to serve as spiritual director of Saint Augustine’s Regional Major Seminary in Bulawayo and has been spiritual director of the National Seminary of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More in Chishawasha, Harare since 2015 until his appointment as Hwange Bishop.
He has written and published close to 40 books.-@ncubeleon
