South African Bishop Visits
Holy Family School

On Friday, January 15th, Bishop Joseph Potocnak, SCJ, recently retired Bishop of the Diocese of De Aar, South Africa, was a guest speaker at the second quarter awards and honors program at Holy Family School in Holly Springs, MS.  Bishop Potocnak talked about his thirty-six years in South Africa, the last seventeen as the Bishop of De Aar, and living through the difficult years of apartheid (the government-sanctioned separation of the races) as the people, Catholic Church and community leaders, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, fought to change the laws.

“When I first started in South Africa as the Bishop, I asked a priest what I could do to bring Jesus to the poor,” said Bishop Potocnak. “The priest replied, ‘You can’t bring Jesus to the poor because Jesus is already with the poor.’ And with each experience I found that to be true. The poor people seemed to have the faith of Jesus… It always struck me in my life that so many times God made Himself present to me in many ways… God will provide.”

Following the program, Bishop Potocnak shared lunch with faculty members. The Bishop then met the sixth grade students in the library for a question and answer session. Students asked the Bishop about his experiences living in Africa and being a Bishop.

“We are so happy he came to visit us; he is such a nice man,” says Clara Isom, principal of Holy Family School, of Bishop Potocnak. “As he was leaving he said that being at Holy Family School with the students and the teachers made him homesick for Africa. That was the greatest compliment!”

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