AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - Appointment of Bishop of Kroonstad

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, on 1 April 2011, appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Kroonstad (South Africa), Fr Peter Holiday, of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, Parish of Our Lady of the Wayside, in Maryvale.
Fr Peter Holiday, was born in Durban, on 11 January 1952. From 1967 to 1969, he attended the Salesian Boys High School, in Cape Town. After that he was apprenticed as a printer, obtaining in 1973 a Trade diploma in Letterpress Machine handling. He worked in this industry for 13 years. Then he entered St Peter's Major Seminary in Hammanskraal and continued theological studies at the Urban Pontifical University. He was ordained a priest in Cape Town, Goodwood Parish, on 10 December 1992 and appointed to the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. After being ordained he worked in the following ministries: 1993-1997: Assistant parish priest at Our Lady of Mercy, in Emdeni Soweto; 1997-1999: parish priest at St Thomas, in Lenasia; 2000-2005: Administrator of Christ the King cathedral; since 2006: parish priest at Our Lady of the Wayside, in Maryvale, Archdiocesan Director for the Lenten Appeal and assistant for vocations.
The Diocese of Kroonstad (1951), has an area of 30,248 sq km and a population of 946,000, of whom 87,230 are Catholics. There are 34 parishes, 19 priests (5 diocesan, 1 Fidei Donum and 14 religious), 14 sisters and 9 major seminarians. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 2/04/2011)