"He fought the good fight" - Eulogy by Bishop José Luis (Bhubesi):  Rest in Peace Fr Wiseman Nkomo

 Homily at Fr Wiseman Nkomo's memorial Mass
12 June 2026 

The familiar Gospel passage of Jesus’ disciples leaving Jerusalem and going to Emmaus had been in my mind and heart for some time as we journeyed together with Fr Wiseman Nkomo.

The journey of those two disciples made me think of our own journey for the last five months:

·        Fr Wiseman’s personal journey facing a challenging sickness and, on the other side

·        our journey: yours, mine, the journey of those walking close to him, the journey of our diocese.

We journeyed together carrying different things in our hearts, though one was common to Fr Nkomo and to all of us: hope.

In the Gospel our two disciples tell this stranger walking with them: “Our own hope had been that…”.

Like them, Fr Wiseman, his family, I, those very close to him, the clergy, all of you too had hoped, we had hoped things would turn out to be different. In fact, every single day, as you came to present your condolences at the Chancery, you said: “We had hoped…”

The journey of the last five months – everything started at the beginning of January – was a journey of highs and lows where our hope was tested.

There were many “highs” as we thought we could fight the sickness and succeed. There were many “highs” as doctors presented us with ways to address it.

But, somehow, each one of those “highs” was followed by deep lows challenging him and us once again in our hope.

 * * *

All of us naturally kept asking ourselves “why”:

·        why would a young priest be facing such a sickness…? He would have celebrated his 10th anniversary of ordination in December;

·        why when the bishop had – very quickly after his ordination – entrusted him with many important responsibilities in our diocese: member of college of consultors, vicar for properties, part of the team caring for sick priests, first parish priest of the Cathedral, chaplain of sodalities…;

·        why when the bishop had chosen him to go to Rome and get a degree in the very delicate field of “safeguarding of vulnerable people”? He was the first and only one to get such a degree in our Bishops Conference. This service took him to Witbank and Dundee Dioceses in South Africa and to Gaborone in Botswana as he was requested to help set up proper policies in dioceses and religious communities;

·        in other words, why when he was clearly gifted and had been entrusted with Parish services, diocesan services, Bishops Conference service…

All this without forgetting that Fr Wiseman Nkomo had his own questions, his own “why”; because it does not matter if you are a lay person, a religious sister, a priest, a bishop… you can’t avoid asking yourself “why” when you get seriously sick at 40 years of age.

There’s a story I have treasured in my heart for many years (decades!)

The story is about a family who calls an expert to investigate why a rosebush planted in their garden struggled to give flowers.

After spending some time investigating the issue, the expert gave them a clear report. Among other things, he said:

·        the rosebush is planted close to a wall, and the foundations are affecting the roots

·        rubble has been thrown in the past, exactly where the rosebush is planted

·        too much water keeps coming over it due to the gutters above it

·        during the day it enjoys very little sun but too much in the afternoon

The family then asked the expert: “why … why was the rosebush planted there and not somewhere else in the garden?”. The expert replied: “That… that is something you have to ask the gardener”.

The experts – doctors and nurses – can explain to us what happened but about “why” he had to go through this, we too are told to ask the one who created us and planted us where we are today. We too are told to ask the one who gave us the gift of Fr Wiseman Nkomo to be with us.

This is, in fact, what we have doing in our hearts and prayers. We keep asking God, the gardener, why.

Just that, the answer, I guess, remains in God’s heart (today we celebrate the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) and we will only have it when we too, like him now, see the Lord face to face. UNkulunkulu uyati we normally say. God knows and knows better than us. One day we will see and understand.

 As we consoled each other during this week, Paul’s words to the Thessalonians constantly came to our minds:

“We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, to make sure that you do not grieve for them, as others do who have no hope.” (4:13).

We are heartbroken, but not because we do not have faith in the resurrection. We do. We cry, but not as people who have no hope.

We cry because each one of us embodies particular gifts from God. Each one of us is unique and we struggle as we already miss Fr Wiseman’s uniqueness. As the Cathedral PPC shared with me: “He made a deep impact in our community in a very short time”.

I guess we too measure our lives according to the number of years, as we heard in the first reading from the book of Wisdom. We wished he had been with us for a longer time. We wished we could have enjoyed those special gifts – God had given him – for a longer time.

We know he is in God’s hands, but we cannot avoid missing him. That’s also the beauty of this moment: the fact that we remember him with a grateful heart.

 * * *

At the breaking of the bread the two disciples in our Gospel passage were able to understand that the Lord had risen and had chosen to come close to them, to listen to their cry and to enlighten them with his Word. They could not see it as they walked. Only later.

Looking back, like the disciples, I too realize that we experienced the presence of the Risen Lord walking with us at every step of this difficult journey.

·        I think of the doctors, nurses, and all those working at our own St Theresa’s Clinic, at Manzini Clinic and at Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg who were close to us, explaining everything to us, journeying with us in every possible way. Their professionalism, kindness and understanding were God given.

·        I think of the small team of people that I asked to walk close to Fr Nkomo daily so that he will feel particularly cared in every physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual need.

·        I think of the Jesuit community in Johannesburg. Providentially, last year, Fr Wiseman Nkomo spent the whole month of November at their house resting and renewing himself spiritually. When he became sick and needed to be treated in Johannesburg, that same community became his home, his place of rest, a place in Johannesburg where he felt loved, understood, nursed and cared. The Risen Lord had prepared this place for him well in advance to care for him and we did not know it.

·        I think of all of you who sustained him and us with your prayers. How many times I got messages during the day and during the night assuring me that “bogogo beDiocese” and you all were praying for us. He would not have made it without your prayers. We would not have made it without your prayers.

The Risen Lord came close to us, walked with us, making sure that our love and care for him would grow deeper and deeper and that he would constantly experience the love and care of the diocese.

 * * *

As the disciples came to understand the Lord had Risen, they did not continue with their lives as before. They ran back to Jerusalem and were then entrusted with a mission. We too are entrusted with a mission.

Many memories came to our hearts during the past week. Memories of beautiful moments, memories of things he said, memories of things he did, memories of what he stood for, memories of the way he was passionate about his priesthood and about being a channel of God’s blessings to you and your families.

Those memories carry a message and a mission. Whatever he did and touched you in a special way, is now the mission entrusted to you.

There is also another message and there is another mission: let us care for each other. Fr Wiseman’s sickness called us to give the best of ourselves in our care for him. Care is not for tomorrow because tomorrow is not guaranteed. Only this present moment is. Let us make sure we care for one another.

Fr Wiseman died on Saturday morning. Before going to Manzini Clinic, I celebrated Mass in my chapel. Saturday’s first reading was today’s second reading from Paul to Timothy where we read:

“As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation,
and the time has come for me to depart”.

I wondered if that was a message to me. It was so. Once again, the Risen Lord had prepared me for what would happen… not just his departure but also the message that came with it:

he had fought the good fight to the end.
He never stopped wishing to live, he never gave up…
and he was ready.

The one who had started his good work in Fr Wiseman Nkomo, had brought it to fulfilment. May he now rest in peace and continue praying for our Diocese from heaven.

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