AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Bishop of Witbank appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on November 6, 2009, appointed Fr. Giuseppe Sandri, MCCJ, Provincial Superior of the Comboni Missionaries in South Africa, Bishop of Witbank (South Africa).
The Bishop-elect was born August 28, 1946 in Faedo (Diocese of Trent, Italy). He took his first vows as a Comboni Missionary on August 15, 1968 and made his solemn profession on August 15, 1971. He finished his novitiate and studies in Theology in Cincinnati (USA) in 1968 and earned a Masters' Degree in Theology in 1972, also in the United States. He was ordained a priest on May 27, 1972. He has since ministered as follows: 1972-1973:Assistant Pastor in Acornhoek, Diocese of Witbank; 1974-1980: Pastor, Waterval-Bushbuckbridge, Diocese of Witbank; 1981-1985: Pastor, Luckau Parish, Lydenburg, and Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Center; 1986-1992: Pastor in Witbank; 1993-1998: Superior of the Comboni Missionaries in South Africa for two terms; 1999-2007: Secretary General of the Comboni Missionaries, in Rome. Since 2008, he has served as Provincial Superior of the Comboni Missionaries in South Africa (third term).
The Diocese of Witbank has an area of 56,886 km sq, population 2,614,000, Catholics 103,278, parishes 21, priests 38 (11 diocesan, 8 Fidei Donum, and 19 missionaries), 7 seminarians, and 8 permanent deacons. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 6/11/2009)