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Fr. Jude Thaddeus

Fr. Stephen Syambi (left) in South Africa and Fr. Jude Thaddeus (right) during pastoral work. Credit: Fr. Jude Thaddeus/Fr. Stephen Syambi (

“I felt unwanted”: Moving Tales of Catholic Priests Forced Out of South Africa as Foreigners’ Woes Escalate

Jul 18, 2025

Fr. Stephen Syambi arrived home in Kampala, Uganda, on Wednesday, July 16 feeling dejected and confused. He felt even more disheartened when he thought about all the people he had left “without a shepherd” at St. Ephraim Catholic Church Ikageng, a struggling Parish of South Africa’s Catholic Diocese of Klerksdorp.

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