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Vicariate of Rundu Roman Catholic Church  |
| Rundu Roman Catholic Mission |
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 Fr. Dennis Higgins SDB |
 Fr. Joseph Skowron SDB |
 Fr. George Szurgot, SDB |
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Pastor: Fr. Dennis Higgins SDB Assist: Fr. Josef Skowron SDB Assist: Fr. George Szurgot, SDB Parish Address: Rundu Catholic Mission P.O.Box 15 Rundu, Namibia Tel: 264.066. 255 053 Email: sdbrundu@iway.na The Catholic Mission is situated in the Nkarapamwe location of Rundu. St Jovitha Pre-school: (Principal: Sr. Anne-Marie Nendongo OSB) Tel: 066 255 869 Don Bosco Youth Centre: (Director: Fr. Josef Skowron SDB) Tel: 081 2890611 Times of Masses and Services at the Mission: Holy Mass: Monday & Wednesday: 6pm Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 7am Sunday: 7am & 9am Confession: Wednesday: 5pm - 6pm and on request Rosary: Wednesday 5.30pm Childrens' Service Sunday: 7am & 9am Organisations: Adults: Namibian Catholic Women's Movement Legion of Mary Women and their Friends Men's Group HIV/AIDS Home Based Care Rundu Central Choir St Gerhard's Choir St Joseph's Youth Choir Youth: Bloukring Jongwag Maria Kind Altar Servers |
   
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| Sacramental Programmes |
Baptism:
The baptism of babies is celebrated every two months during the 9am Mass. Parents who wish to have their babies baptised should register for the preparation programme which takes place during the week preceding the baptisms. Young people and adults who have not been baptised and who wish to become members of the Roman Catholic Church are expected to follow the RCIA (Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults) programme which begins each year on the first Sunday of Advent.
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Confession & Holy Communion:
Our young parishioners who wish to prepare for their first Confession and Holy Communion must be in grade 4 or higher and be aged 7 years or older. The preparation usually begins after the Christmas holidays and continues throughout the year.
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Confirmation:
Those who wish to prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation must be in grade 6 or higher and be aged 14 years or older. The Sacrament of Confirmation in the Vicariate of Rundu is celebrated every two years.
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Marriage:
The preparation programme for Marriage takes place every three months. Details are announced in the church for several Sundays preceding the start of the programme during which time couples should register for the programme in the Parish Office.
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| The Pastoral Area of the Rundu Catholic Mission |
The Rundu Catholic Mission serves the Parish of St Mary here in Rundu as well as 38 Outstations, spread over an area of some 7,140 square kilometers (2,756 square miles). There are approximately 30,000 Roman Catholics in the pastoral area served by the Rundu Catholic Mission.
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Villages: Sarusungu, Ndama, Sauyemwa, Kayirayira, Siyandeya, Ruurumwe, Ngwangwa, Sunset, Sikanduko, Mavanze, Masivi, Ncagcu, Ncumcara, Kaguni, Ncamagoro, Cwi, Sihepera, Sihetekera, Harapembe, Tjwatama, Makena, Tcove, Mpora, Mulemba, Satotwa, Katjinakatji, Oukordon, Mpezo, Mururani, Mangetti, and the Casava refugee camp.Farms: Deo Volente, Botma, Sonop, Opperman, Jagsters, Shalk Nell, Ben Van Wyk. Photo to the right is after mass at Kaguni village |
Because of the number of outstations and the vast distances involved, the priest can make only two or three visits to each community in a year. On such occasions he celebrates the Sacraments of Baptism, Confession, Eucharist and Marriage and anoints those who are sick. His visit is also an opportunity for him to discuss with the community any problems or difficulties that may have arisen since his last visit.
These outlying communities appoint their own leaders from among their congregation: - Church Leaders who form the local church committee or council; - Service Leaders who conduct the Sunday Service of the Word and funerals; - Catechists who prepare their members for the clebration of the Sacraments. - Some communities have even appointed their own Youth Committee. These community leaders look for a great deal of support and training from the mission. For some communities we try to arrange various Leaders' training days and workshops here at the mission. In the case of those communities that are very far from the mission, a catechist sometimes accompanies the priest on his visit and he/she gathers the community leaders after Mass for a training session. |
Besides the vast distances involved and the high price of petrol, another major difficulty in our attempts to support and train our community leaders is the lack of suitable materials. The local languageis still largely an oral language. Apart from the Bible, there is very little literature in Rukwangali. Over the past couple of years we have tried to renew our sacramental and youth training programmes, basing them largely on material from Nigeria, Zambia and South Africa. This material has first to be adapted to our local situation, then translated into RuKwangali, and finally we have to find ways to print it. All of which is time consuming and expensive. Fortunately, we have a number of local volunteers who translate the material free of charge, and from time to time we receive donations to cover some of the printing costs.
Sometimes, however, a project can be held back through lack of finances. Whenever a donation is received there is great rejoicing in the villages because they know that we are once again able to help them to serve their people more effectively.
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Namibia is a young country not only in terms of it's existence as an independent country but also terms of the age of its population.
It is estimated that two thirds of Namibians are under 30 years old. This fact is clearly reflected here in Rundu which can boast of four large secondary schools. Primary and secondary education is highly valued and taken very seriously and - except for a few small charges - is free. However, because of the distances involved, many children have to stay in school hostels. For this accommodation there is a charge of around N$350 (US$55) per year. The more successful students may then go on to the University of Namibia in Windhoek if they can meet the cost of higher education - around N$6000 (US$1000) per year. Recognising the importance of qualified professionals in such a young country, we have pledged ourselves to support our young people in their education by providing financial assistance whenever possible. And we invite individuals and organisations to sponsor promising individuals in their quest for education at school and university level. For further information regarding any of the above contact us at: sdbrundu@iway.na
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Roman Catholic Church Namibia |  |