HOPE BEYOND CONFLICT: THE JOURNEY TO PEACE
“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats. The idea of the deterrent power of military might, especially nuclear deterrence, is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice and trust, but on fear and domination by force.”
Message of Pope Leo XIV for the World Day of Peace 1 January 2026.
Cover Photo: Protesters in Ohio rally against US funding for the Russia‑Ukraine war, March 18, 2023. | Credit: Vincent Tsai/Peoples Watch
MISSION IS FUN
a beneficiary of the Ekhayalethu project in Bronkhorstspruit, June 2025.
Instruments of God’s Love and Peace
BY By Fr Charlemagne Sitou Dossavi MCCJ | Vocation Promoter
AS PART of their formative journey, our Postulants are deployed to various locations for pastoral experience during the winter holidays. In this way, they learn how to become channels of God’s love and peace for people who have been stigmatized and marginalized by a utilitarian society. One of our Postulants, Eugene Simukoko from Germiston, carried out his pastoral experience in Ekhayalethu ward at Sizanani Home, Bronkhorstspruit (Pretoria), a centre that cares for disabled (or differently-abled) male residents.
of Ekhayalethu project in Bronkhorstspruit, June 2025.
Credit: Eugene Simukoko.
Reflecting on his experience, Eugene affirms: “The experience was deeply humbling and transformative. Being present with the residents of Ekhayalethu taught me patience, empathy, and the power of silent presence. Some of the brothers could not speak, but their smiles, gestures, and eyes communicated volumes. In serving them, I encountered Christ in a profound way, vulnerable, joyful, and alive in the broken and the least. Their openness and trust reminded me that LOVE IS NOT PRIMARILY ABOUT DOING, BUT ABOUT BEING PRESENT WITH AN OPEN HEART. This experience also deepened my understanding of what it means to live in true communion with others, especially those who live with physical or intellectual limitations. At Ekhayalethu, I witnessed how small gestures like holding a hand, sharing a laugh, or simply sitting together in silence can be profound acts of solidarity, love, and peace. Differently abled people taught me that the peace of Christ can be found even in the most desperate situations. Their resilience and joy, even in the face of suffering, became a silent homily that touched my heart more deeply than words could.”
This path could be yours as well!
The Joy of the Mission
Ordained in 2020, Fr Abraham Amuzu, a Comboni Missionary from Togo, was assigned to the Republic of Central Africa for his pastoral ministry in the Catholic Mission of Grimari in the diocese of Bambari.