Elections chief takes to the pulpit
Church brings harmony to all facets of his life
The congregants of Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church’s Maryvale parish in Johannesburg, sat attentively as the priest in purple and white robes delivered yesterday’s sermon.
Using the analogy of pruning fruit trees, the soft-spoken man preaches about the season of “spiritual pruning” and resisting “temptation sugar-coated with promises of pleasure”.
He is Simon “Sy” Mamabolo, a recently ordained Reverend Deacon in the archdiocese of Johannesburg.
Mamabolo also serves as chief electoral officer of the Independent Electoral Commission, the institution tasked with overseeing the elections.
“It is time for the pruning of fruit trees. Pruning is not intended to kill the tree but for the tree to produce better. We need to prune those aspects of our lives that make it impossible for us to bring harmony in our lives,” Mamabolo told the flock.
It was his first mass from the pulpit and, after the service, Mamabolo shook hands with the departing congregants.
Mamabolo, who grew up in a strict Catholic family in Tembisa, was ordained just over a week ago.
His new responsibilities as a deacon are to coordinate charitable work, minister and offer the sacraments of baptism and matrimony.
Other than being of service to God, his commitment to the church brings harmony to his spiritual and professional life.
“Without this spiritual resource that I get on Sundays, I would be unable to deal with the tough workload that I have in my professional space,” Mamabolo said.
Asked if there were perks that came with his new church title, Mamabolo laughed before answering: “There are no perks. It is pro bono, nothing, and I do not wish for the church to extend its resources to me.”
Mamabolo’s typical Sunday starts at 6am when he prepares for the morning prayer before driving off to officiate the first mass at 8am and the second at 10am.
He then moves on to hold classes for those about to go through the sacrament of baptism before heading home for lunch and for a bit of quiet time with his family.
By 3pm he is in his Election House office in Centurion, where he prepares for the week ahead.
“When most people are watching [soccer] games at home on Sunday afternoon, I watch them at the office,” Mamabolo said.