Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ingwavuma (Agenzia Fides) – He is a young bishop of the Consolata Missionaries. Bishop Gerardo José Luis Ponce de Leon, age 48, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in November 2008 as the Apostolic Vicar of Ingwavuma, in South Africa. In an area of 12,309 square kilometers, with a population of about 620,000 inhabitants, there are about 25,000 Catholics. Bishop José Luis Ponce de Leon is the second Argentinean missionary priest that the Pope has elevated to the episcopal ministry: the other is Salesian Bishop Jesús Tirso Blanco of Lwena, Angola.
The Apostolic Vicar of Ingwavuma tells his brethren in Rome: "During my first month as Bishop of the Vicariate, I held a meeting with priests and religious. My first question was: What should I do to start learning about the Vicariate? One of the priests was surprised by the question ... 'I find it strange. It is as if the coach asked the players what to do...' I responded by saying: 'Then, take advantage of the moment while it lasts...because in the future, I may not ask about anything and I might just say what is to be done.' Then everyone started to laugh."
The Bishop continues: "I started to visit each mission. My idea was to see the places and spend time talking with priests, religious, and parish councils. Every priest had to decide where to celebrate the Mass ... or Masses, since each mission has 15 to 20 small ecclesial communities."
Missionary by vocation, Bishop Ponce de Leon is fully committed to evangelization of those who do not yet know the message of the Gospel. This is the number one priority of the Vicariate. Not long ago, the Vicariate of Ingwavuma opened a website where you can find testimonials and stories of the hard work everyone is carrying out in the Vicariate: from the Bishop to the priests, and even the lay catechists. They also reported the Diocesan Council meetings and activities of the Vicariate, meetings of the priests of the Vicariate at the Ubombo Mission, and other information. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 17/02/2010)
