Catholic Bishop in South Africa Renews “domestic worship” as Country Goes Back to Lockdown

“You may use the seven steps of the SCCs. Let us do this with joy, by celebrating the word of God with our families. I do call upon each family to carry on with the teaching of Catechism in their homes to their children,” the Bishop said.

In a July 2 interview with ACI Africa, the Local Ordinary of Aliwal said that the guide would be similar to the SCC seven steps of reflection only that it will be followed in families rather than groups of Catholic families.

The only requirements are the Crucifix and candles, the Bishop said, adding that a member of the family will set the mood for prayers with a hymn and a prayer.

“Any member can say the opening prayer but where there is a father, it is important for this head of the family to say the prayer,” he explained.

This will be followed by Scripture reading, of which the Bishop says, “We suggest scriptures for our Christians through the Parishes but we insist that they concentrate more on the Gospel of the day.”

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In the third stage, each member of the family is required to prayerfully repeat the particular section of the reading that touched them the most after which the family takes a short moment of silence, “allowing God to speak,” the Ugandan-born Bishop said.

The fifth step is important as it allows the family members to share on the Gospel, he further said, adding, “During the sharing, we call upon family members to open up a space for dialogue, understanding and even confessions between each other in a loving way. This is a time for bonds between family members to grow stronger.”

In the sixth stage, family members deliberate on what they can do as a unit as per the message in the Gospel reading.

“In the context of COVID-19, there is a lot that a family can do to impact the lives of others,” Bishop Kizito says.

He adds, “A family can organize and send a food parcel to another family that has lost everything because of the pandemic. It is also practical to send each other encouragement messages over WhatsApp and other social media platforms now that physical meetings are impossible.”

The final stage of the family SCC model of service is a hymn and concluding prayer said by one family member.

Meanwhile, the Local of Ordinary of Aliwal has appealed for continued support of Church activities in the Diocese even as places of worship remain closed.

“I do once again need to thank you for your pastoral work and your faith,” Bishop Kizito says in the statement shared with ACI Africa, and adds, “I pray that you will continue giving your contributions through all means possible to be strong in these challenging times of COVID-19. Be responsible for yourselves and others.”

The Bishop calls on the people of God to adhere to regulations set by the government to contain further spread of the coronavirus, saying, “Our faith has once more been put to test. I do call upon you to observe all the health protocols and keep the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).”

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.