AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Bishop of Dundee appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on June 13, 2008, appointed Fr. Thomas Graham Rose, pastor of Actonville, Archdiocese of Johannesburg, bishop of Dundee (South Africa).
The bishop-elect was born in Evander (today’s Diocese of Dundee) on December 23, 1951. He attended middle school at the Christian Brothers’ College (Kimberley) and later the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, obtaining the title of B.Com (in business) and LLB (in civil law). He studied Philosophy and Theology at the St. John Vianney National Seminary in Pretoria. He was ordained a priest on December 12, 1980 for the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. He has since ministered as follows: 1981-1983: pastor of Soweto; 1984-1987: studies in Ireland, obtaining a degree in Moral Theology from Maynooth; 1987-1990: pastor of East Rand and Professor at St. John Vianney Seminary, Pretoria; 1990-1991: Pastor of Magaliesburg; 1991-1997: Rector of St. John Vianney Seminary; 1999-2006: Pastor of Rivonia; 2006-2007: returns to being pastor of East Rand. Since 2008, he has been the pastor in Benoni, and Professor at the new St. Augustine’s Catholic College in Randburg, Johannesburg. He is also the Diocesan Vicar for Vocations, Diocesan Councilor, and member of the Priestly Council of Johannesburg.
The Diocese of Dundee, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Durban, was erected in 1982. It has an area of 51,867 km. sq. and a population of 1,706,000, of whom, 94,484 are Catholics. There are 29 parishes, 13 diocesan priests, 14 religious priests, 2 Fidei Donum priests, 27 religious sisters, and , 3 major seminarians. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 16/6/2008)