South African Archbishop Lauds Christian Brothers for Instilling “life values” in Learners

In his homily September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Archbishop of Pretoria said the centenary celebration of the Catholic institution that follows the tradition of founder of the CFC Brothers, Blessed Edmund Rice, is an opportunity to thank God for the Irish missionary and educationist “who allowed himself to be a blessing in the world of his time especially by promoting the dignity of the poor, through giving them decent education.”

Blessed Edmund Rice “became a blessing to the world, especially to those who benefited from the schools and the colleges he established,” Archbishop Mpako emphasized about the CFC founder who also founded the Presentation Brothers.

The South African Archbishop invited the congregation at the Holy Mass to “make a firm resolution, all of us today, as we participate in this celebration to be also a blessing in our own little ways.”

“That is the best way to honor Edmund Rice, to remember all the Brothers who gave up their time, their energy, their life to be a blessing”, he said, and added, “We can honor them by committing ourselves today to be in our own little corner of the world, a blessing.”

In being a blessing, the Archbishop said, the people of God will be emulating Mother Mary. who “gave birth to the one who was the blessing to the world.”

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“We are called to be mothers of God like Mary was, and we become mothers of God by living our lives in such a way that we become a blessing to the world," the 63-year-old Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry as Bishop of South Africa’s Queenstown Diocese in August 2011 said. 

He continued, “Mary gave birth to the one who was the blessing to the world, and we are told that God is love. Hence anyone who lives in God lives in love, therefore, we can all give birth to love.”

“And when we give birth to love through our words, through our actions, through the way we relate to others, and through how we become a positive presence where we are, then we are like Mary,” Archbishop Mpako said during the September 8 Eucharistic celebration.

Sheila Pires is a veteran radio and television Mozambican journalist based in South Africa. She studied communications at the University of South Africa. She is passionate about writing on the works of the Church through Catholic journalism.