By Selby Makgotho – The news of the death of Fr Matsobane Sehlapelo of Modjadjiskloof parish in Tzaneen, in a car accident on August 1, sent shockwaves through the Catholic community in Limpopo and beyond.
Fr Tsubi, as he was affectionately known, was a larger-than-life person. True to his calling he was always available to assist families, especially in his communities of Vaalkop and Doornspruit, where his passion for the priesthood was discovered soon after matriculating at Pax College at GaMashashane in 2004.
His love for the priesthood was largely inspired by his Catholic family and specifically his late grandfather, Deacon Christopher Sehlapelo, who served at Doornspruit parish for more than 40 years. Fr Tsubi had a deep interest and love for reading. My last interaction with him was a fortnight ago when he asked me to get him two copies of books by Adv Thembeka Ngcukaitobi SC and Themba Maseko in Johannesburg.
Soon after his priestly ordination, Fr Tsubi was assigned to Modjadjiskloof parish. It was there that his spark grew even brighter. He is largely credited with the introduction of the Knights of Da Gama in Tzaneen diocese. He further went around the diocese recruiting Catholic men into the order and took part in its activities in both Polokwane and Tzaneen. The news of his passing was received with shock and disbelief as he had big plans for the Catholic Church ahead of him.
Born on May 15, 1985, in Doornspruit’s St Joseph Hospital, Fr Sehlapelo was the third child and second son of Motshilo Evelyn Sehlapelo (née Mokwatlo) and Nape David Sehlapelo. His father died in January this year.
Matsobane Sehlapelo started schooling at Paxanyana Pre- and Primary School, and later Pax High School where he matriculated in 2004. After matric, he joined the seminary under the tutelage of the late Bishop Mogale Paul Nkhumishe of Polokwane. He graduated from St John Vianney Seminary in October 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Theology.
He moved to the diocese of Tzaneen following an induced sabbatical and was ushered into his diaconate on December 20, 2015. He was ordained a priest by Bishop João Noé Rodrigues of Tzaneen on January 21, 2017. He served the Catholic Church with great passion until he met his untimely death on August 1.
He will be dearly missed by his family and the Church at large, and will forever be remembered for his unwavering faith.
( Source acknowledgment:The Southern Cross : https://www.scross.co.za)
The funeral will take place on Saturday 7 August 2021 at AMPC. Mass begins at 8:00am. This will be by invitation only. There will be a time for tributes after the Funeral Mass followed by the Burial Rites. We are humbly requesting a minimum donation of R5 000 from each parish to assist with the cost of the funeral. Kindly deposit these contributions if you are able into the diocesan account.
The funeral will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook. The following is the link for the live streaming of Fr. Matsobane's Funeral https://www.facebook.com/AveMariaMooketsi
Thank you and God bless you.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It is with deep sadness that I write these few words on the occasion of the funeral of the late Fr Matsobane Sehlapelo. The end of his journey of faith and service in the Diocese of Tzaneen came so unexpectedly on 1 August with the tragic accident.
I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the mother of Fr Matsobane and the Sehlapelo family and I pray asking the Lord to console them with his Holy Spirit during this time of sorrow.
I am very aware of the shock that his death has caused among the priests and religious missionaries of the diocese and in particular the faithful people of the Parish of Modjadjiskloof whom he served so diligently in the past few years. May the Lord bring healing to our grief.
Fr Matsobane was a gentle and dedicated young priest who was always willing to serve where needed. He had a particular passion for the catechetical apostolate as well as for supporting the Catholic men in the parish. More recently he had begun doing the Spiritual Direction Training course with the Jesuit Institute in order to improve his knowledge and skills in spiritual direction. He was very close to his family. In January this year, the death of his father, David Nape Sehlapelo, who succumbed to Covid-19, was particularly difficult for him but his faith in Christ and priestly vocation was the source of his comfort and strength.
Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.”
May the Lord have mercy on the soul of Fr Matsobane and grant him eternal peace. And may the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
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<![endif]>Sincerely in Christ,
……………………………….
Bishop Joao Rodrigues
Bishop of Tzaneen Diocese
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