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Popular priest turns 60

Popular priest turns 60

A ROMAN Catholic priest well known in the North, Father Frans House – also known simply as Kafula – who has worked in Namibia for half his life – turned 60 on January 25, amid celebrations by his congregation.

His 60th birthday festivities started with Mass celebrated by Bishop Liborius Ndumbukuti Nashenda and attended by many Catholics from the Oshana, Omusati and Oshikoto regions, as well as from Windhoek and other parts of the country. Anneliese de Vos, Houben’s sister, visited from Germany along with her husband, Helmut.Bishop Nadenda recalled that Father Houben had served as a priest at Anumalenge and Okatana as well as the Windhoek Cathedral and at Ondjiva, Omupanda and Omongwa-Omhumpa in southern Angola, and had made a considerable contribution to the Church’s development in the North.During his period of service there, many churches and other buildings were built.He also contributed to the creation and upliftment of seminaries and inspired young Namibian men to enter the priesthood, given that foreign priests were not reluctant to come here.”Father Houben can now go to the Ministry of Health and Social Services to apply for pension, but before that I still have the power to sign his retirement letter, so I am still keeping him to your benefit, before I can say: ‘Yes, now you can go for pension’,” Bishop Nashenda joked to the congregation that packed the Oshakati church.Father Houben thanked all present and pledged to serve them until he was too old to continue.Anneliese de Vos, Houben’s sister, visited from Germany along with her husband, Helmut. Bishop Nadenda recalled that Father Houben had served as a priest at Anumalenge and Okatana as well as the Windhoek Cathedral and at Ondjiva, Omupanda and Omongwa-Omhumpa in southern Angola, and had made a considerable contribution to the Church’s development in the North. During his period of service there, many churches and other buildings were built. He also contributed to the creation and upliftment of seminaries and inspired young Namibian men to enter the priesthood, given that foreign priests were not reluctant to come here. “Father Houben can now go to the Ministry of Health and Social Services to apply for pension, but before that I still have the power to sign his retirement letter, so I am still keeping him to your benefit, before I can say: ‘Yes, now you can go for pension’,” Bishop Nashenda joked to the congregation that packed the Oshakati church. Father Houben thanked all present and pledged to serve them until he was too old to continue.

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