A Mission Priest and Covid-19

The alarm bells rang for Father David Sithole when he lost his senses of taste and smell – a symptom of Covid-19.

Living alone in his house at Corpus Christi in Upper Tongaat, Father David wasn’t prepared for sudden isolation. He had to depend on the kindness of some of his very supportive parishioners to do his food shopping, with the exchange happening at his gate for social distancing.

Father David describes his illness as a very difficult time beyond his personal experience. The people who make up a Mission community rely on their priest for so much – including a parish feeding scheme, making his isolation a pastoral challenge. In addition, he knew that his parishioners were very worried – not only about him, but also about contracting the virus themselves.

We thank God for Father’s David’s full recovery, and the fact that he’s now fully returned to serving his community.