Pope’s representative tours Victoria Falls

ARCHBISHOP Janusz Stanislaw Urbañczyk, the newly appointed Roman Catholic Church’s Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, on Wednesday, visited Victoria Falls as part of a three-day tour of the Hwange Diocese.

His visit includes launching the Year of Prayer today, which signifies a period of intensified spiritual activities and community engagements within the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe. This visit highlights the church’s ongoing commitment to fostering faith and unity among its members.

The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Urbañczyk earlier this year to fill the Apostolic Nuncio’s post that had been vacant since July last year following the transfer of Archbishop Paolo Rudelli to Colombia. He served as the Pope’s representative since January 2020.

An Apostolic Nuncio represents the Vatican as the church’s ambassador in a country of deployment.
Before coming to Zimbabwe, Archbishop Urbañczyk was in Vienna where he was the permanent representative of the Holy See to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He served in the pontifical representations in Bolivia, Slovakia, New Zealand, Kenya and the United Nations.
Archbishop Urbañczyk, who is on a tour of the church’s eight dioceses across the country, has so far visited the Archdiocese of Harare and the Gweru Diocese.

He will be in Hwange until Sunday and will be a guest at the Diocesan Pastoral Council mid-year Annual General Meeting and Presbyteral AGM in Hwange before presiding over the mini-Eucharist Congress tomorrow at the St Mary’s Marian Shrine.

Archbishop Urbañczyk landed at the Victoria Falls International Airport on Wednesday and was welcomed by the church’s Hwange Bishop, His Lordship Raphael Ncube, some priests, church members and choirs from Hwange urban, Empumalanga and Victoria Falls deaneries.

He visited the three Victoria Falls parishes- Our Lady of Peace, St Josephine Bakhita and St Kizito Parishes where he interacted and prayed for the church members who were delighted to receive him.

Archbishop Urbañczyk also visited the Rainforest in the majestic Victoria Falls. The visit dovetails with Government’s drive to promote religious tourism as a new tourism product.

“We are here introducing the new Apostolic Nuncio to Zimbabwe, meaning the Pope’s representative in Zimbabwe. We have been given that opportunity to spend this day and his visit brings us the message of joy from the Holy Father,” said Bishop Ncube.

“This joy in parishioners comes from that holistic approach. He is being accompanied by his secretary, Monsignor Filippe Fabiani and they will be with us until Friday during which he will present the Jubilee year 2025 by proclaiming this year of Prayer, which Pope Francis has proclaimed to prepare for the Jubilee year.”

Bishop Ncube said Hwange Diocese had proclaimed the Year of the Eucharist. All Catholics in the Diocese are expected to converge at the Marian Shrine between 10am and 6pm today for the launch of the Year.

Addressing some congregants, the Apostolic Nuncio said he was grateful to be in Hwange and implored church members to remain united and respect elders.

“Thank you for this invitation, it is important to be united. It is possible to grow, you must be open to the presence of Jesus in your life,” said Archbishop Urbañczyk.

“We must have this kind of reference to those who can help us and we must be grateful to the elderly among us. With the intercession of the Saints and elders, we can succeed in life.”

Archbishop Urbañczyk visited St Josephine Bakhita where construction work to expand St Josephine Primary School and a church building is underway.

The school head, Mrs Shillah Gapara explained to the Apostolic Nuncio the challenges the school is facing in terms of feeding vulnerable children, particularly in the wake of the El Nino –induced drought.

The school has 609 learners and due to a shortage of resources, it provides supplementary feeding for them twice a week.

The school was opened in 2013. From Victoria Falls, Archbishop Urbañczyk and his delegation left for Hwange to attend the pastoral AGM to be attended by the Junior Diocesan Pastoral Council, Diocesan Pastoral Council and Presbyteral meeting.— @ncubeleon.