SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO-The Roman Catholic Church’s Pope Francis has appointed The Right Reverend Raymond Tapiwa Mupandasekwa as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Masvingo.
According to the press release shared by the Apostolic Nunciature in Zimbabwe in The Midweek Watch’s possession, the appointment is with effect from September 15, 2023.
Mupandasekwa was also appointed the Apostolic Administrator ad nutum Sanctae for Chinhoyi Diocese pending the nomination of his successor.
Masvingo Diocese has been vacant since the resignation of Bishop Micheal Dixon Bhasera last year after serving the Diocese for 23 years.
Mupandasekwa has been at the helm of Chinhoyi Diocese since his episcopal ordination in 2018 and he is the first black Bishop in Chinhoyi Diocese and also the first black African Redemptorist bishop in Zimbabwe, Africa and the whole Congregation of the Redemptorists.
Currently Bishop Mupandasekwa is the vice president of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) and the chairman for the Seminary Commission and Seminary Board.
Bishop Mupandasekwa comes from Masvingo where he was born 53 years ago and was ordained as a Priest in 2001.
