The Dehonian Novitiate in South Africa has produced its new fruits
After a 19-year break, the South African Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart reopened its novitiate last year in Aliwal North. Today, the Province is already reaping the first fruits of this initiative with the celebration of the first religious professions.
The Aliwal North novitiate is not the first novitiate of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in South Africa. In the past, the South African Province — which celebrated in 2023 the centenary of its presence in Nelson Mandela’s country — had been forced to close its first novitiate formerly located in Bethulie, following a decline in vocations. However, a new spiritual breath seems to be sweeping through this southern region of the continent. Indeed, in recent years, many young people have shown themselves sensitive to Christ’s call, to the point where the Superiors had to entrust them, for their novitiate year, to other African entities, notably in Cameroon and Mozambique. In view of this vocational renewal, the Province finally took the decision to reopen its novitiate in January 2025, within the Aliwal North community, with Father Sanil Michael, SCJ, as Novice Master.
First professions
After 19 years of “drought”, the South African Province had the joy of celebrating the vows of the very first class from this new novitiate. The event, which brought together many confreres and family members, took place on January 24, 2026. The ceremony was presided over by the outgoing Provincial Superior, Fr. Peter Surdel, SCJ.
Having entered the novitiate eight in number a year ago, seven brothers reached the end of their initial formation and took their first vows. They are brothers Andrew Inambao scj, Kingsley M. Banda scj, Nchimunya Chilyo scj, Gift S. Chitambala scj, Kennedy Siamasambwe scj, Chrispin Nkandu scj, and Leon Molatoli scj. There are seven religious in total, hailing from Lesotho and Zambia.
Entrances to the novitiate
As a continuation of this celebration, the vocational dynamic continues. Five new young men, also from Lesotho and Zambia, officially made their entrance into the novitiate on the eve of the first professions, that is, on January 23, 2026. For this new stage of their formation, they will be accompanied by Reverend Father Gabryel Kazimierz (Angel), scj, who succeeds Father Sanil as Novice Master.
