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Botswana’s Francistown Diocese Gets Apostolic Administrator after Collapse, Death of Bishop

Fr. Gabriel Lionel Afagbegee, appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Francistown in Botswana. Credit: Catholic Diocese of Francistown

By Silas Isenjia

Francistown, 05 June, 2024 / 8:40 pm (ACI Africa).

Following the death of Bishop Anthony Pascal Rebello of the Catholic Diocese of Francistown in Botswana who collapsed during Holy Mass on May 4, the Apostolic Nunciature has confirmed the appointment of Fr. Gabriel Lionel Afagbegee as the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese.

In the statement dated Wednesday, June 5, the Apostolic Nunciature in Southern Africa that covers Botswana says that Fr. Afagbegee was appointed on May 22 to temporarily administer the Diocese.

The Diocese became vacant when Bishop Rebello, the Kenyan member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) who had turned 74 on March 18 died last month.

Born in 1953 in Ghana, Fr. Afagbegee was ordained a Priest for the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in 1982 after completing his Philosophical and theological studies at St. Victors Seminary in Ghana’s Tamale Archdiocese.

Until his appointment as the Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Francistown in Botswana, he was serving as the Vicar General of the Diocese.

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He also served in various capacities including the Provincial Superior of SVD, Parish Priest of San Salvador Catholic Church and Tlhatlogong Catholic Church, Director of Lumko Pastoral Institute and Kanamo Pastoral and Catechetical Center.

Bishop Rebello was ordained SVD Priest in May 1977. He was appointed Local Ordinary of Francistown Diocese in July 2021.

Bishop Rebello was among the three pioneers of SVD members in Kenya in 1984. They opened their first mission in Kayole in Kenya’s Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi and later, Galba Tulla's mission in the country’s Catholic Diocese of Meru.

An alumnus of the Rome-based Pontifical Gregorian University, Bishop Rebello previously served as the Provincial Superior of the SVDs in Kenya and Parish Vicar in Angola.

Before he was appointed Bishop, he served as the Parish Priest of Holy Cross Mogoditshane Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Gaborone in Botswana. 

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In Botswana, Bishop Rebello is remembered for his ministry towards migrants and refugees.

In a 24 June interview with ACI Africa, the late Catholic Bishop spoke about the refugees his Episcopal See was hosting, who he said were natives of Burundi, Angola, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

“This diocese is a welcoming diocese; the Sisters and the Priests are welcoming, and they have been visiting the detention center and the refugee center,” he said, and added, “I personally have visited both the centers and they are in my heart.”

The newly appointed  Ghanaian Priest is expected to temporarily administer the Diocese that was erected in June 1998 as the Vicariate Apostolic of Francistown before being elevated to a diocese in October 2017

The Diocese that is part of the Metropolitan See of Pretoria has 30,600 Catholics representing 2.4 percent of the total population in the Episcopal See, according to the 2021 statistics.

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Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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