Requiem Homily for Fr Bongi Sithole

Called, Sent, and Safely Home: A Pilgrim of Hope

🕯️ Today we gather to celebrate the life, laughter, and legacy of our brother and friend, Fr Bongi Sithole.

If there's one thing Fr Bongi taught us, it’s that joy is holy. 😄 He believed in the gospel of laughter, and you couldn’t stay gloomy for long in his presence. Even at the most serious clergy meetings, he would crack a joke—usually at his own expense—and remind us that God isn’t just love… He’s joy too.

📖 📜 Jeremiah 1:4–10

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you."
God did not stumble upon Fr Bongi by accident. He was called, set apart, and sent. When I started working with him in 2008 in Soshanguve, he was already deeply committed—looking after two parishes with the energy of three men!

Even when we parted ways in 2011, Fr Bongi continued to serve faithfully as parish priest of Tshepo Pastoral District, and later at St Charles in Bronkhorstspruit, well into his 75th year. His life was a quiet and consistent "yes" to God’s call.

🕊️ Psalm 23
“The Lord is my shepherd...”
Fr Bongi lived this psalm. He let God guide him through many valleys: the struggles of parish ministry, the burden of leadership, and the quiet weight of generosity that often left him with very little.
He was poor not by circumstance—but by choice. Because if someone needed help, Bongi gave it. Money, clothes, food—he didn’t ask for reasons. If you asked, he gave.

📖 Revelation 21
“Behold, I make all things new.”
Fr Bongi dedicated himself especially to people society often forgets.
He was a chaplain to prisoners, spending time with them, listening, praying, and restoring their dignity. At Sizanani, he served the sisters and the most vulnerable: abused women, orphans, and children with disabilities.

It’s no wonder God welcomes him now to a place where "every tear is wiped away." He wiped many in his time.

✝️ John 14:1–6
“Do not let your hearts be troubled...”
Fr Bongi was a father figure to many—especially to young priests. He had a way of making us feel seen. You could knock on his door at any time—he’d make tea, offer a joke, and before you left, drop a line of theology that made you think for days.
Yes, Fr Bongi laughed—but he was also an intellect who loved theology, loved the Church, and loved deep conversations.

He walked the Way. He taught the Truth. He lived the Life.

🍞 The Eucharist: At this altar, Fr Bongi gave everything: his heart, his joy, his wisdom, his struggle.

Today, Christ welcomes him to the heavenly banquet where he is no longer celebrant—but guest of honour.

❓ Question for Reflection:

Will we be remembered for what we owned—or what we gave?
Will our legacy be laughter and love—or only titles and things?

🛠️ Daily Practical Application:

In honour of Fr Bongi:

  • Laugh deeply today. Let someone else smile because of you.

  • Be generous—not just with things, but with time.

  • Visit someone forgotten.

  • Mentor someone younger than you.

🌟 Grief is the price of love. We cry because we cared.

But let your grief not become bitterness. Let it become fuel for hope.

🎉 Jubilee Year – What Can I Do?

Be a Pilgrim of Hope like Fr Bongi:

  • Go where you are needed, not where it’s comfortable.

  • Serve the marginalised.

  • Make the Church a place of welcome.

  • Let your priesthood, your parenting, your discipleship reflect joy.

🇿🇦 

Fr Bongi’s ministry was truly South African:
He ministered under pressure, with limited resources, and great expectations.
But he did it with ubuntu, with humour, and with heart.
In a land of pain, he was a man of peace.
In a society of takers, he was a giver.
He belonged to the people—and he never stopped loving them.

💬 Inspiration Quote:

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
—Winston Churchill

Fr Bongi made a life. And what a beautiful life it was.

🏁 Conclusion:

We do not say goodbye. We say:
"Rest well, dear brother. Your journey is done. Your laughter echoes in heaven. Your life has inspired us all."

Lord Jesus,
You called Fr Bongi from the womb,
formed him in joy, sent him to the forgotten,
and welcomed him home in love.

Receive your servant.
Let his laughter ring in the courts of heaven.
Let his generosity live on in our hearts.
And help us walk the road of faith as he did—
faithful, joyful, and full of hope.

Amen.

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