Southern Africa Link Committee
Left to right: The Rev. Canon Rose Duncan, the Rev. Canon Dr. Rachel Mash, Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya, The Rev. Canon Jan Cope
In Loving Memory of the Rt. Rev. Ellinah Wamukoya, Diocese of Swaziland
Our Southern Africa Link Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington feels blessed by the loving ministry of the Rt. Rev. Ellinah Wamukoya, who died on January 19, 2021, in eSwatini, formerly Swaziland.
Bishop Ellinah nourished us with her quiet charm, gentleness, and firm commitment to the needs of others and for caring for God’s creation. She warmly welcomed visitors to eSwatini from the Diocese of Washington. She also delighted us in 2018 by visiting Washington to share her devotion to protecting the environment for the benefit of everyone around the world.
We particularly remember Bishop Ellinah’s leadership in response to the Covid pandemic. In a letter to the Diocese of Washington, she recently lamented the severe hardship unfolding in her Diocese and recommitted herself to caring for her faith community during these most difficult of times. She wrote that, while the Covid restrictions are painful, “we have not allowed the restrictions to interfere with our faith. We remain united emotionally and spiritually by providing opportunities to care for each other.”
May God bless her and care for her family and all whom she loved in her Diocese of Swaziland.
Faith and Hope in Face of Despair Across the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in Response to COVID-19
Our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) are overwhelmed by the same COVID-19 and follow-on economic crisis as we face in the Diocese of Washington.
Four leading ACSA bishops and other ACSA church leaders have offered us a glimpse into their particular struggles as reflected in the messages below. They describe the crushing need to remain connected with their church communities during this time of social distancing, to respond to economic despair and inadequate medical care, to console those who are grieving losses, to urge good public health practices, to guard against increased gender-based violence, and, as noted by ACSA Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, to offer “hope in facing the challenges with eyes of love.”
We ask for your prayers for our Brothers and Sisters in the ACSA during this most difficult time. As reflected in the Prayer for Africa:
God, bless Africa
guard her Children
guide her leaders
and give her peace;
for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen
We invite you to read reflections from these leaders:
The Rt. Rev. Charles May, Bishop of the Diocese of the Highveld, South Africa
The Rt. Rev. Ellinah Wamukoya, the Bishop of Swaziland
The Rt. Rev. Andre Soares, the Bishop of Angola
The Rt. Rev. Vicente Msosa, Bishop of the Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique
Members
Mary McCarthy