Roman Catholic Church

1. Roman Catholic Church- St. Aloysius Parish-PICONG
A special words of appreciation must go to the founding father/priest Rev Fr Pott who built the
first Catholic mission amongst the Setswana speaking people in St Pauls Taung, under which
Picong was serviced from.
Roman Catholic Church (St Aloysius) started sometime in the early 1930 and most of those who
were born around 1933 were baptized in the catholic church by the early priests who were
based at St Pauls mission .Taung, for example Priests such as Fr A Munnik, Fr Bousche, Fr
Follenbockt of the order of Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) to name but a few
According to narrative from our parents the school started as part of the church in Picong
around the year 1949.Those who wanted schooling for their children also converted to the
Roman catholic church as the ethos of the school was of catholic orientation, and as a result
many were baptized or accepted in the church and in the school which was the first schooling in
the village of Picong/ Sekantshing. The Catholic Church did social relief of distress to the indigent
families and the poor by donating clothing and sale of cheap yet good quality clothing from
overseas.
Appreciation must also go to bogosi/ traditional leadership of then kgosi Tshite Petrus
Motlhabane and later his son kgosi Kesekwaile Golailemang Squire Motlhabane for giving the
catholic church a piece of land to build the church .
The church building also served as class rooms for the school for many years at the former site in
Picong .In the early 1972 the school the school relocation to the current new site
Significantly it was the family of Kgosi Kesekwaile Golailemang Squire Motlhabane who were
amongst the first baptized amass in the Roman catholic church then, pointing to the total
acceptance of the church by the Royal household of Motlhabane family in Pitsong /Sekantshing.
That’s why at the time in Picong, more than 80% of the people converted to the catholic faith.
It was during the later years of the 1963 -when membership started declining for various
reasons including among the church views and or discouragement on people for practising their
cultural activities and customs such as cultural initiation schools. This position of the church
however changed after the sitting of the second Vatican Council where more accommodation
was made for diversity of cultural practices by various sectors of society of the faithful.
The church was served in many ways by catechist/Bakatisi who were assisting Priests, and the
following Catechists, Mr Teledimo and later Mr Makhubela served Picong.
The community of this village cannot go without acknowdging the contribution made by the late
Mrs Kate Keswa who served both the church and the school for the better part of her life.
Special gratitude’ and appreciation goes to the following priests, who served the community of
the faithful with distinction , most of whom are now departed souls “may their soul rest in
peace” Most of these priest were of OMI- Oblates of Mary Immaculate order:-
 Rev.Fr Bausche 1959; Rev.Fr Ortman; Rev.Fr W Sylla ; Rev Fr A Munnik 1942
 Rev.Fr Follebockt 1948-1951; Rev.Fr Joss Hahner 1963; Rev Fr Hartjies; Rev.Fr Jos Flahney
 Rev Fr Deutmeyr; Rev, Fr. Choeu- 1964; Rev. Fr. L Dunnwald around 1957;
 Rev.Fr. Hagenkoeltor -1958 ; Rev Fr. J Russ -1960; Rev. Winfried Deing 1974
 Rev Fr, Richard Doll 1966; Rev Fr. Bastian; Rev.Fr Motsumi; Rev. Fr Berssemans 1977
 Rev.Fr L A Ademmair; Rev.Fr A J Riekert; Rev.Fr G B van der Linde 1978
 Rev Fr. J D Hubbert 1977; Rev Fr Hans Haas- 1977; Rev. Fr M S Mahara 1979
It was only in the early 1990 that there was an increase in the local vocation, as previously church
dependent on the overseas countries, especially Germany for priest and religious brothers and
sisters.
It was later during the time of the visionary Rt Rev Bishop Erwin Hecht that he liaised with the
bishops and congregations outside South Africa to help him with priests and that’s why in
Kimberley diocese we were blessed with priests who came from India, Poland Nigeria, Uganda,
Malawi ,Kenya, Tanzania, India Lesotho etc.
In the process, Bishop Erwin Hecht (MHSRP) started with the recruitment of local vocations that
yielded fruits and increased the numbers of the numbers of local priests.
At the same time Bishop introduced the Lay ministry whereby the interested lay people were trained
to serve the people of God, as the number of priest from elsewhere was shrinking.
It was in this regard that Bishop Hecht started the campaign of “Self-ministering, Self-administering
and self-supportive church” to make the faithful of the diocese to own the church.
Appreciation also go to all priests who served this community of Picong by administering to us ,the
various sacraments, May the good Lord reward them a hundredfold. The community of the faithful
are indebted to priests who also for a short periods of time, led with responsibility of pasturing this
local parish of St Aloysius namely:-
 Rev Fr Ramabina
 Rev Fr Thomas
 Rev Fr Joses
 Rev Fr Matthews
 Rev.Fr Severiano Phiri
 Rev Fr Peter Kalungi
 Rev Fr Alex
 Rev Fr Edward Tshungu
 Rev.Fr Sehlabaka
 Rev Fr Lebogang Seane
 Rev Fr Olebogeng Moss
Ke fela mo nakong ee sa eng kgakala mo kereke ee katoliki e lemogileng tlhokego ya Baprista ba
Baitlami gore thobo e ntsi mme barobi gaba alekana.Go ilwe ga simololwa ka go katisa
ditokololo tsa kereke go nna bagogi go thusana le mopriesta yoo etelang parish ka matsatsi a
Tshipi /Sundays tse di rulagangwang.
Bagogi ba re ba gopolang ke ba ba latelang Mme Kate Keswa,Mme Maserwalo Matshelo; Mme
Laea Diphae, Mme Gomolemo Kemonye; Mme Golaamang Motlhabane, Mme Martha Kgope,
Rre Thabo Kgathisho ; Rre Fana More , Rre Phillip Matsie Mocwiri ;Rre Ben Mongwaketse le ba
bangwe.”St. Aloysius”