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Father Peter Amos Duba Mthombeni

Tanaka Mrewa, Chronicle Reporter
THE first ever once-married man to be ordained as a Catholic priest in Zimbabwe, Father Peter Amos Duba Mthombeni, has died.

He was 79.

Archdiocese of Bulawayo Vicar General Fr Hlakanipha Dube told the Chronicle that Fr Mthombeni passed away on Monday at Mater Dei Hospital where he had gone for a routine check up for diabetes.

He said burial will be at Athlone Cemetery tomorrow at 11AM.

The Vicar General said Fr Mthombeni made history on July 12, 2003, when he was ordained as a priest — the first once-married man to be a Catholic priest in Zimbabwe.

Fr Dube said Fr Mthombeni, who was married to Anatolia Mabhena, had six children and one of them is a priest.

“His wife passed away in 1998 and by then all his children had moved out of home. In 2003 he was ordained as a priest. He served all his priesthood years together with his son Fr Gabriel Mthombeni.

“He was born on April 5, 1938, in Tsholotsho. For many years he worked at St Patrick’s Parish where he became an ardent catechist. He studied Theology and kept enriching himself with catechetical courses through distance education colleges and attending church-organised courses. In 1992 he was ordained a permanent deacon, then in 1998 he was appointed to the national marriage tribunal as an adjudicator,” said Fr Dube.

He added that Fr Mthombeni applied to train as a mature priest in 2000 and was accepted at Chishawasha in 2001.

“His son was already a priest by then, thus father and son both became Catholic priests. The Catholic Church has seven sacraments, one may need two lives to receive all of them. Peter however received all!”

Fr Dube expressed sadness, saying the Catholic Church had been robbed of a very hardworking and dedicated priest.

“The church has been robbed of a true obedient son, a very humble and joyful priest, a prolific preacher. He never declined any assignment given to him. He was never a driver yet he walked and visited patients at Mpilo Hospital religiously to minister to the sick,” said Fr Dube.

“He practically knew every family in his parish. Besides that he was a fountain of wisdom, was always ready to impart knowledge and was a gifted story teller. Fr Mthombeni was affectionately known as ‘Nyanisi’ which was his way of emphasising a point,” said the Vicar General.

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