News

The 2025 ordinary meeting of EACC was held in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on November 18, 2025, at St. Padre Pio Pastoral Center. The total membership consists of fifteen individuals, with five absent and ten present. The meeting was officially commenced with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 6:30, presided over by His Excellency Archbishop Tadewos Ruwaichi. The agendas discussed by the members included: The meeting began with the reading, correction, and approval of the minutes from the extraordinary meeting held in Addis Ababa on February 19, 2025. Subsequently, the members engaged in discussions on each agenda item. The outcomes of the meeting were as follows: The meeting is adjourned on November 18, 2025 at 18:30

The 2025 extraordinary meeting of EACC took place in Addis Ababa on February 19, 2025. Each day commenced at 6:30 with Lauds, followed by Holy Mass, and concluded at 18:45 with the prayer of Vespers. The agenda for the meeting included: The meeting was officially commenced by Br. Patrice, who welcomed the attendees and explained his role, which began a few months ago at Curia, aimed at nurturing the life of the brothers to ensure it thrives across the continent. He then urged the conference to place significant emphasis on the preparation for PANAF, which is scheduled to take place in February 2027. The outcomes of the meeting were as follows: The meeting is scheduled to adjourn on February 19, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

The following report highlights the happenings in the life of the Capuchin Custody of South Africa over the last three years. The main agenda from the time of our 12th Ordinary Chapter in 2021 included: Prioritising fraternity; developing our Formation Programme; the way of development for our Formation House; the Promotion of Vocations, and sustaining of Fraternal Economy.These issues presented to the platform for our more recent Chapter in 2024, at which occasion the following brothers were elected: (see below, left to right) Br Albert Gonsalves (Custos), Br Ewald Nangay (1st Councillor), Br Anstey Kay (2nd Councillor), Br Vicent Kinabo (3rd Councillor), Br Nilesh Vaz (4th Councillor).  We are proud to share about our Custody’s small but steady progress, in living out our distinctive Capuchin charism in this very special part of Africa. At present, we are 20 perpetually professed brothers (19 priests), serving variedly in three different dioceses in the country. We have 3 temporary professed brothers along with 3 other temporary professed brothers from the Capuchin Province of Madagascar. All are studying at St Joseph’s Theological Institute, Pietermaritzburg. We are also happy to have received at least 2 men into the postulancy programme at the beginning of this year; they reside at our founding parish/friary of St Mary of the Angels, Athlone (built in 1933). (See below Rite of Reception for Postulants Feb. 2025). THE RECENTLY DEPARTED It was with unexpected sadness that we experienced the death of two of our most beloved brothers over the last three years. On 30 April 2023, the then guardian of St Padre Pio Centre, Br Andrew Kiyanga, died in a Pretoria hospital. His body was repatriated to the country of his birth, Tanzania soon after. Then on 15 September 2024, Br Seán Cahill, a missionary from Ireland, who served in South Africa for 51 years, passed away after concelebrating the 10am Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Parow, Cape Town. Both friars are still sorely missed and we give thanks to God for their lives, and to their Capuchin home provinces of Tanzania and Ireland, for bringing them into the life of our Custody in South Africa.  NEW ARRIVALS Our Custody is still privileged to be part of a healthy collaboration with several other circumscriptions. Notably in the last few years, we were happy to welcome Br. Erasmus Veneti, who arrived in South Africa on 10th May, is from the Capuchin Province of Tanzania. We also welcomed Br Rolan Koli on 18 October 2024, from the St Bonaventure Capuchin Province in Maharashtra, India. CELEBRATIONS In November 2022 we completed an uplifting Custody Retreat with Archbishop emeritus William Slattery OFM. This was the first occasion since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions that all the friars could meet once more for retreat as a Custody. In early July 2023, South Africa celebrated the news that the Archbishop of Cape Town, Stephen Brislin, had been elevated to the rank of Cardinal. The archbishop received the red hat at the Consistory in Rome on 30 September 2023. 2024 began confidently, after our Custody’s fraternal gathering at the end of 2023 (19-24 November), the gathering incorporated the theme of the Franciscan Centenary celebrations (marking the 800th anniversary of the Rule of 1223). Many Capuchin parish communities, together with the OFS, took up the initiative of beginning the Centenary celebration by promoting the special Plenary Indulgence on the Occasion of the Eighth Centenary of Christmas at Greccio. On 19 January 2024, the Fraternity of St Lawrence of Brindisi Formation House, Howick officially welcomed the safe arrival of three Capuchin Students from Madagascar: Br Wanald Reginaldhino Tombozafy, Br Heriniaina Eugene Andrianarintsoa and Br Bemaharavo Daniel. A month later the community at Howick happily also received a new 9-seater vehicle to accommodate the transport needs of the friars there. The 28th of January 2024 marked the 90th birthday of our most senior friar, Br Rufino Ferris (who is still in good health and active in the ministry of deliverance and healing). General government elections were held in South Africa on 29 May 2024 to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each of our nine provinces. This was the 7th general election, held after the end of the apartheid era, celebrating 30 years of democracy! The election resulted in the formulation of a Government of National Unity (whereby the ANC party lost its longstanding majority vote). On 22 November 2024, we officially concluded our 13th Ordinary Chapter of the Custody, presided over by Br Adrian Curran (rep. of Irish Provincial), at St Padre Pio Centre, Pretoria. (See group photograph at Custody Chapter 2024). ONGOING FORMATION Our Lady, Mother of Africa, pray for us! 20 July 2025 By Br Anstey Kay Custody Secretary, South Africa

The Holy Savior Catholic Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is located in the Lagar area, near Meskel Square. It is situated on Churchill Avenue and is often referred by people as the “international parish of Addis Ababa.” The parish is served by the Capuchin brothers. The church holds Masses in Ge’ez, English, Amharic, and Italian on Sundays. The coordinates for the church are approximately 9°01’21.0″N, 38°45’06.4″E. The Church is a metropolitan parish that is well-known for its multicultural and diverse community. It serves various groups, with different masses scheduled according to their specific liturgical rites and cultural backgrounds. The church offers masses in multiple languages, including Ge’ez, Amharic, English, and Italian, to accommodate its local, international, and Italian-speaking communities. This approach makes it a central hub for Catholic communities from various parts of the world who reside in Addis Ababa. On Sundays, the service of Masses is offered from 6:30 – 12:30 and 18:00-19:00. In each Sunday five Masses are celebrated consecutively from 6:30-12:30 and the last one in the afternoon from 18:00-19:00. The first Mass began in Ge’ez language followed by the Mass in Amharic language, then the Mass in English language followed by the Mass in Italian language. The first two Masses, which are the Ge’ez and Amharic ones, are celebrated with the Ethiopian rite while the rest three are celebrated with the Latin rite.  The historical background of this Church goes back more or less to 1938-1940, the time in which Ethiopia was under the occupation of the fascist regime of Mussolini (1937–1942). The Italian government constructed the church as soon as they had established their authority in Addis Ababa for the spiritual benefit of the Italian troops. Simultaneously, a nine-story structure was constructed for the military commanders’ office on the left side of the church. The church was given to Ethiopian Catholic communities after the Italians were forced to leave the country, while the Ethiopian government seized the office building on the left. Once the Church was turned over to the local ecclesiastical authority, the Maltese Capuchin brothers were asked to assist the multinational communities (speaking English, French, and Italian). Soon after, when the Maltese Capuchin brothers chose to depart the nation after serving the communities for a few years, the Ethiopian and Italian Capuchin brothers took their positions. The service expanded to the local communities when the Ethiopians assumed authority, which increased the number of communities. The service for Eritrean migrants also began recently. Five brothers, three chaplains, one parish priest, and one assistant parish priest, have been appointed to this church to serve full-time. Alongside the full-time staff, there are a few brothers who work as part-timers to help with confession and Holy Communion distribution. After learning of the Church’s advantageous location, the brothers assigned to the parish church requested that the superiors expand the property and construct a new community and guest house to host all the brothers who come to Addis for different reasons from all over the nation. In 1972, a three-story structure capable of housing 25 people at a time was completed. Once more, the Vice Provincial office was required when Ethiopia’s General Vice Province was established in 1977. As a result, the site has been further expanded by paying local people to build a new structure that will house the fraternity and vice provincial office. Before the construction was started, the late Cardinal Paulos Tsadwa was asked by the Vice Provincial of the time to verify the location as a Domus Ordinis of the Capuchin Order. Within a few days, the confirmation was given by the Cardinal. After that, construction started right away and was finished in a few years. This led to the establishment of a guest house, the Provincial Office, and a metropolitan parish. The parish church is well organized and it is one of the parishes within the Archi-Eparchy of Addis Ababa in which the participation of the laity and the empowerment of the faithful are fully realized. The parish church is self-sustaining, providing all the basic necessities for the brothers who are serving at the church. Contact person:  Br. Worku Yohannes (Provincial minister) Addressee:         P.O. Box 177                            Holy Savior Catholic Church                            Addis Ababa – Ethiopia                            ethiocapcuria@gmail.com August 11, 2025 By Br. Worku Demeke

St Padre Pio Centre of Pretoria came to reality by the initiative of br. John Corriveau, General Minister, OFM Cap as a formation house of lay brothers of Africa. The building of the Padre Pio Formation House began in June 1998, and was formally blessed and opened in March 2000. Soon after, a formation team was established and lay brothers, from all Capuchin circumscriptions in Africa, were admitted. The formation program was led and subsidized directly by the General Curia of the Order. The centre gained further importance when it hosted the Damietta Peace Initiative in 2005. As a result, the centre became very symbolic and hub of all the efforts that are made to realise the ‘Cosmic Fraternity’ at the level of Africa.  The Damietta Peace Initiative, the first idea of an African Franciscan Peace initiative, came as a result of two papers: “The Challenge of Nonviolence” and “Cosmic Kinship- The Unifying Principle for the new Africa”. These two papers were delivered by Fr. Donal O’Mahony OFM Cap at a study Day for Capuchin provincials from sub-Saharan Africa in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, May 2002. The invitation came from the President of the East African Capuchin Conference, Fr Sean Cahill OFM Cap. In one of the papers Fr Donal said: ” It is in the realm of ethical and moral values that Africa must point itself toward if it is to build a more human, more peaceful and more environmentally sustainable continent. He then introduced and developed the Franciscan values of non-violence, reconciliation and ‘cosmic Fraternity’. Acknowledging that any solutions must primarily rest with Arican people themselves, yet, Franciscans with their unique continental- wide connections must think creatively how these values might trickle down to a village level. Could every Capuchin Friary and every domicile of the entire Franciscan family, he wondered, become “places” where the Gospel and the Globe are brought together for all peoples? From these ideas rose a Peace Project, to be later called, the ‘Damietta Peace Initiative’. The project formally found an office at St Padre Pio Formation House, Pretoria in 2005, and functioned from there for several years. The idea and impact of the project still resonates positively among the other peace-making ministries. Unfortunately, both initiatives didn’t continue as they were planned for various changing circumstances. In 2014, the house evolved into a Retreat and Spirituality Centre which has become very popular and well attended by various Christian Groups. August 14, 2025 By Br. Anstey Kay Secretary of the Custudy of South Africa