Bishop Barry Wood Business Breakfast

St Joseph’s Theological Instituted (SJTI) hosted its inaugural Bishop Barry Wood OMI Business breakfast at Emakhosini Hotel on Friday 9 November 2018. This will be an annual event to raise funds which be used for the development of St Joseph’s Theological Institute.

The key note speaker at the event was his excellency Archbishop Peter Wells, the Apostolic Nuncio to Southern Africa. After a brief introduction by Fr Sylvester David OMI, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Durban and former SJTI president, the Nuncio addressed the gathering of mainly Catholic business men and women on Catholic education. The address was well received and was the topic of much discussion during the breakfast. Fr Allan Moss OMI and Mr Lionel Samuels responded to the nuncio’s address and spoke about the development of courses for the laity and the Catholic Schools Office respectively.

See text of the Nuncio’s talk here

Br Nhlanhla Mhlanga (Financial Administrator of SJTI) and Mr Clement Chetty presented the proposed project of the establishment of a multi-purpose conference centre. The hope of the Institute is for this to become a centre where both clergy and laity may come to receive ongoing theological training. It is foreseen that the venue will also be used by various organizations in the Church and society at large to host conferences and other meetings. The centre will also have several class room spaces which will allow for the expansion of the Institute.

This project was well received and many were certain that this centre will be well supported. Those present pledged finances as well as expertise to assist the Institute in bringing this project to completion. The projected date of completion is 2021 and the estimated cost is R25m.

Fr Ewen Swartz OMI, president of SJTI, thanked all present for their support and assured them that the Institute will continue to engage with them as well as other business people, communities and organisations in order to raise the necessary funds for this and other future projects. He explained that the vision of the Institute is to become a centre for Catholic theology in the KwaZulu Natal region and Southern Africa.