De Aar

Province of Cape Town

PATRONESS: Our Lady of Assumption

HISTORY

On 24 March 1953, this Territory (formerly included in the Aliwal Diocese) was made a Prefecture and entrusted to the American Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. The Rt Rev Mgr AJ Dettmer SCJ was appointed the first Prefect Apostolic.  By decree of the Holy See, dated 13 April 1967, the Prefecture was elevated to the status of a Diocese.

The boundaries of the Territory are: Aliwal Diocese to the East, Kimberley Diocese to the North, Keimoes Diocese to the Northwest, Oudtshoorn to the Southwest, and Port Elizabeth to the South.  The diocese comprises Britstown, Colesberg, De Aar, Graaff-Reinet, Hanover, Hopetown, Middelburg, Murraysburg, Noupoort, Philipstown, Richmond and Strydenburg districts.

Former Bishops: Rt Rev. Joseph De Palma SCJ was consecrated first Bishop of De Aar on 19 July 1967. Died February 2, 2005. Rt Rev. Frederick Lobinger was Apostolic Administrator from 13 March 1988 to 30 April 1992. Rt Rev. Joseph Potocnak SCJ, appointed Bishop of De Aar on February 12, 1992, ordained Bishop May 1, 1992 and retired 23 September 2009. Rt Rev Adam Musialek SCJ appointed Bishop of De Aar on 17 July 2009 and ordained Bishop on 24 September 2009.

Area: 67 248 sq km.

Tot Pop: 164 000

Cath. Pop: 5 786

Right Reverend Bishop Adam Musialek, SCJ

Address: 1 Van Riebeeck Street; PO Box 73, De Aar 7000.

Tel: (053) 631 1149, Fax: (053) 631 1043,

E-mail: adam957@telkomsa.net

ADMINISTRATION

Vicar General:  Rev Fr Colin Bowes, PO Box 224, Noupoort 5950. Tel: (049) 843 1608.

Chancellor: Rev Fr John Strittmatter SCJ, PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1587 Fax: (049) 842 4292.

College of consultors:  Msgr Joseph Alcaster, Rev Fr Colin Bowes, and Rev Fr John Strittmatter SCJ

 

DIOCESAN DIRECTORS AND PROMOTERS

Bishop’s Lenten Appeal: Fr Albert Post, PO Box 73, De Aar, 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1149. E-mail: post@isat.co.za.

Professional Conduct: Contact Person: Rev Fr Colin Bowes, PO Box 224, Noupoort 5950. Tel: (049) 843 1608

Coordinator for Laity: Rev Fr John Strittmatter SCJ, PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1587.

Youth Directors:  Fr Innocent Mabheka SCJ, PO Box 38, Petrusville 8770. Tel: (053) 663 0099. E-mail: imabie@hotmail.com. Fr Kazimierz Gabryel SCJ, POBox 99, Graaff-Reinet 6280. Tel: (049) 892 2721. E-mail: aniolscj@gmail.com.

Family Apostolate: Dc Thomas Mbombo, c/o PO Box 73, De Aar 7000.

Justice and Development: Rev Fr John Strittmatter SCJ, PO Box168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1587.

Pontifical Mission Societies: Msgr Fr Joseph Alcaster, PO Box 73, De Aar, 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1149.

Catechetical Coordinators: Sr Sylvia OP, PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1736, e-mail: sylviaop@vodamail.co.za. Fr Albert Post, PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1149, e-mail: post@isat.co.za.

Vocations Directors: Fr Innocent Mabheka SCJ, PO Box 38, Petrusville 8770. Tel: (053) 663 0099, e-mail: imabie@hotmail.com.

 

PRISON CHAPLAINCIES

De Aar. Msgr Joseph Alcaster, PO Box 73, De Aar, 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1149.

 

LAY ORGANISATIONS

Catholic Women’s League: Diocesan Moderator: Fr Paul Koscielny SCJ, PO Box 198, Colesberg 9795. Tel: (051) 753 0583.

Diocesan Pastoral Council: Diocesan Moderator: Rev Fr Colin Bowes, PO Box 224, Noupoort 5950. Tel: (049) 843 1608.

Sacred Heart Society: Diocesan Moderator: Fr Paul Koscielny SCJ, PO Box 198, Colesberg 9795. Tel: (051) 753 0583.

St Anne’s Society: Diocesan Moderator: Sr Mary Kewuti OP, PO Box 73, De Aar 7000.Tel: (053) 631 0621

St Vincent De Paul Society: Diocesan Moderator: Rev Fr John Strittmatter SCJ, PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1587.

 

RELIGIOUS MEN

Priests of the Sacred Heart:

Colesberg, PO Box 198, Colesberg 9795. Tel: (051) 753 0583. Fr Paul Koscielny SCJ, e-mail:pzkos@wp.pl

Graaff-Reinet, PO Box 99 Graaff-Reinet 6280. Tel: (049)892 2721, Fr Kazimierz Gabryel SCJ, e-mail: aniolscj@gmail.com, Fr Sanil Michael SCJ, e-mail: sanilscj@gmail.com

Middelburg,PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1587, Fax: (049) 842 4292, Rev Fr John Strittmatter SCJ

Petrusville, PO Box 38, Petrusville 8770. Tel: (053) 663 0099. Fr Innocent Mabheka SCJ,  e-mail: imabie @hotmail.com

 

RELIGIOUS WOMEN

Dominican Sisters of Catharine of Siena (KWT)

De Aar, 10 Voortrekker Street, PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Tel: (053) 631 0621. Sr Mary Kewuti OP

Middelburg,PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1736. Cell: 072 336 6055. Sr Sylvia van Vuuren OP, e-mail: sylviaop@vodamail.co.za

 

Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart

De Aar,PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Tel: (053) 631 0621 Cell: 072 399 8823. Sr Jane Odey MSSH, e-mail: janeodey@yahoo.com

 

SCHOOLS

St John’s Primary and Nursery School: PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1149.

 

PARISHES

COLESBERG. St Francis Xavier 1960; St Joseph, 6 Hospital Street; PO Box 198, Colesberg 9795. Tel: (051) 753 0583. Outstation: Novalspont.

DE AAR. Cathedral Church of St Mary’s 1929; Priest House. Tel: (053) 631 1120. Fax: (053) 631 1043. 1 Van Riebeeck Street; PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Outstation: St Martin de Porres – Britstown.

DE AAR. Holy Martyrs of Uganda 1965, 1 Van Riebeeck Street; PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1120, Fax: (053) 631 1043. Outstation: Holy Cross – Philipstown.

DE AAR. St John’s Mission 1924. PO Box 73, De Aar 7000. Tel: (053) 631 1149. Institutions: St John’s Mission School; St John’s Crèche (Nursery School). Outstations: St Ann’s – Hanover, Christ the King of Peace – Richmond,

GRAAFF‑REINET. Immaculate Conception, 1854. St Theresa Church 1939. Sacred Heart Church, 1963. 74 Bourke Street, PO Box 99, Graaff‑Reinet 6280. Tel: (049) 892 2721.  Outstations: Jansenville and Murraysburg.

 MIDDELBURG. Christ the King 1933. Our Lady Assumed 1970. Holy Spirit 1979. 10 Van Reenen Street, PO Box 168, Middelburg 5900. Tel: (049) 842 1587, Fax: (049) 842 4292.  Outstations: Rosmead, Tabelberg, Geluk, Craigmore.

NOUPOORT. St Therese 1953. PO Box 224, Noupoort 5950. Tel: (049) 843 1608.

PETRUSVILLE: Sacred Heart. 2 Church Street, Petrusville 8770; PO Box 38, Petrusville 8770. Tel: (053) 663 0099. Outstations: Holy Trinity – Hopetown, Holy Family – Strydenburg, Kareekloof.

 

CLERGY IN THE DIOCESE

Alcaster, Msgr J. Joseph, Bishop’s House, De Aar

Bowes, Colin, Noupoort

Gabryel, Kazimierz SCJ, Graaff-Reinet

Koscielny, Paul SCJ, Colesberg

Mabheka, Innocent SCJ, Petrusville

Michael, Sanil SCJ, Graaff-Reinet

Musialek, Adam SCJ, Rt Rev. Bishop, Bishop’s House

Post, Albert, St John’s Mission, De Aar

Strittmatter, John SCJ, Middelburg

Sumaili, Douglas, Holy Martyrs of Uganda, De Aar

 

PERMANENT DEACONS

MBOMBO, Thomas, Holy Cross, Philipstown

 

NECROLOGY

5.01.1996    Fr Frank Hudson SCJ

7.01.1995    Fr Leonard Will SCJ

12.01.2011   Scholastic Montfort Bendera

3.02.2005    Bp Joseph De Palma SCJ

8.02.2000    Fr Cecil Wienand

27.06.2007   Fr Kevin McInnis SCJ

6.07.1981    Fr Bernard Zicke SCJ

1.08.1988    Br John Haselhoff SCJ

6.08.1984    Msgr   Aloysius Dettmer SCJ

25.08.1994   Fr Vildac Giroux SCJ

2.10.2004    Fr Gerry Fitzsimons

4.10.1987    Fr James Howley SCJ

10.10.2004   Fr Joseph Nugent SCJ

13.12.2002   Fr Philip Elmer SCJ

16.12.1995   Fr Sylvester Benedict SCJ