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‘Father Sipho’: The roaming priest keeping Northern Idaho’s Catholic parishes running
African-born priest the Rev. Sipho Mathabela travels North Idaho’s parishes, bringing faith, compassion and joyful service wherever he is needed.
By Lisa Ormond | FāVS News Reporter
WALLACE, Idaho — In a rural mountain town of Wallace, Idaho, a devout, African-born clergyman with deep, Christian roots of origin waits for his phone to ring.
His name is the Rev. Sipho Mathabela, 63, who goes by “Father Sipho” to those who know him and who gratefully have the opportunity to receive his year-round pastoral care and blessings of service.
“We are here for Jesus, not ourselves. We are followers of Christ,” he said. “The church is the people, not the building.”
On the move
Mathabela has been a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Boise for nearly 20 years in the state of Idaho. His current home parish is St Alphonsus in the Northern Idaho Panhandle, but he also happily answers the call to go on the road at a moment’s notice to fill-in for fellow pastors and shepherd their parishioners.
“Priests among us are blessed reminders that Jesus is near,” said Mathabela. “They were chosen to lead and grow and support the church.”
Mathabela serves a vital role for his church body by providing leadership and continuance of church operations for priests who need to step away from their duties including celebrating Mass, offering the Catholic sacraments, and supporting youth education and community ministries.
St. George’s parish Deacon Vince Perry said Mathabela has been “called often” to fill-in as pastor for their three churches in Post Falls, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake.
“We have had many periods of sick or away priests over the years. He is readily available and always joyously answers calls,” Perry said. “He has a great sense of humor, rolls easily with challenges and is just so full of enthusiasm that he never needs a microphone.”
When called, he comes
Mathabela has embraced his substitute pastor role faithfully with passion, humility and a peaceful fortitude seeing himself as an ambassador of Christ in the field, he said.
“I am here to walk with them, to walk together,” said Mathabela. “We (priests) are to listen. We are all working and building together; we share in whatever we do.”
Perry has known Mathabela for many years, and they’ve established a good working friendship. According to Perry, one of Mathabela’s signature features is his cowboy boots.
“The boots are part of him,” he said. “He wears them 90% of the time with his vestments and outside of Mass. At a wedding one time, he wore jeans, his Hawaiian shirt and his boots.”
Wherever Mathabela goes, he genuinely looks forward to being with the Lord’s people.
“I want to be there for them and hear about their troubles,” he said, and added jokingly, “It is nice to mingle with me, and I like to say, ‘We must have coffee, coffee all the time!’”
He offered his simple view about the importance of grace in daily living.
“We all come with brokenness,” he said. “I’m just like you and you are just like me so let’s get along.”
The boots lead the way
When Mathabela arrives for a pastoral assignment, he stays a few days, weeks or even months depending on the situation. A transition naturally takes place.
“When you as a priest come to these communities, you become involved with the parish members. There is nothing wrong with blending in with the people. Be like them!” he said. “You integrate and embrace a new way of living, being with the people.”
Mathabela said he “blends with others” by wearing his cowboy boots and “just being himself” during Mass and at activities. This is something he has learned.
“If you let go of everything, you will come together,” he said.
Mathabela shared that his role as a “roaming” priest was similar to what Jesus did during his three-year public ministry before his death on the cross.
“Jesus never really stayed put in one place long, either,” he said. “I move around in service, and Jesus generally was always on the move, too, healing, teaching and loving others.”
Giving of himself
As a disciple of Christ, this peacemaker strives to build unity and cooperation wherever he goes by listening, caring, and being present when needed.
“He’s personable, accessible and he visits the sick,” said Steven Skreenock, a St. Stanislaus parish member for 27 years and head of the local Catholic men’s service group, the Knights of Columbus.
“He lives by his vow of poverty and gives much away to his home country in charity to help the people of his community there,” Skreenock said. “Just months ago, the Knights sponsored a breakfast and raised money for the orphanage he supports.”
Evelyn Corrigan, a St. Joseph five-year parishioner, echoed Skreenock’s sentiments.
“He actively supports our area’s Knights organization and women’s ministries, and he is such an outgoing and interactive participant in our church,” she said. “It’s beautiful to see.”
An impactful upbringing
This holy man was born in Swaziland, South Africa, the fifth child in his family. He became an orphan when his mother died during his childbirth. He explained he was raised by “a village of grandmothers and others” but not his family.
“I was left in the hospital. No one came to pick me up,” he explained. “I had to be the one to carry myself in this world.”
He also shared that his father was shot, killed and left for dead on the streets of Swaziland when he was just a young boy. His brother “betrayed” his father, which resulted in his murder.
“They took my father’s tongue out and his parts and left them on the street,” he recalled. “It’s life and you just have to continue.”
He mentioned Dominican Sisters from Germany gave him clothes at his school.
“I was blessed. Somehow, my journey of what I went through in those early years gave me my start to associate myself with humanity,” he said.
Witnessing Christian charity at a young age planted a seed of faith in him that grew during his lifetime.
“God works always according to His plan, not ours. We need to believe and trust him,” Mathabela said.
Moving with the Holy Spirit is something this clergyman learned to easily embrace. About 20 years ago, he left his South African home and immigrated to this country “to serve God and his people” as a priest.
“I had no idea I’d be called to the U.S. That is the spirit of God. I thought I’d be in Africa as his follower,” he said.
Open arms for all
Joyce Buck, a 45-year parishioner at St. George, had praises for this transitory priest’s spirit and messages of hope.
“Father Sipho always has a twinkle in his eye and is delightful,” Buck said. “When he stands next to the choir before Mass he jives to the music as we practice. He loves it! He even has a cheerful message filled with hope in the confessional.”
His words and deeds are impactful on believers whose paths cross his.
“He is eager to visit the sick saying ‘they won’t always remember what you say but they will always remember your presence,’” said Samantha Guadagnini, 18, of St. Stanislaus parish.
His humility touched her deeply especially during Mass celebrations.
“When he misspeaks or makes other errors he stops, strikes his breast with his hand and fixes his mistake. I believe this practice is because he is a Benedictine monk. It’s a good reminder to me of the sacredness of the Mass,” she said.
Mathabela shared that he receives abundant blessings, too. “When things aren’t going well, their prayers are a source of strength for me,” he said. “I recognize God is speaking through people to me.”
The phone stays on
Once Mathabela fulfills his pastoral care assignment, he grabs his boots, coffee cup and Bible and hits the open road.
He said he prays the phone rings soon knowing the divine might be reaching out to him to be his messenger.
“To proclaim the Gospel is to live it from the marrow of your bones,” he said. “Every day, I get up and I think ‘How am I going to help the people today?’”
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