Dear Confreres and Lay Spiritan Associates,
Further to our previous message informing you of the sad and unexpected death of our confrere Fr. John Dimba on March 24th, I now wish to inform you of the funeral arrangements.
The funeral Mass will take place at our community chapel in Clivo di Cinna at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20. Due to the present Covid regulations, the burial will be private and will take place at a later date.
Initially consideration was given to repatriating the remains to Malawi, where Fr. John spent much of his life, as the present Covid travel restrictions preclude the possibility of any member of his family participating in the funeral in Rome. However, despite the intervention of the President of the Episcopal Conference, it was not possible to do so as Fr. John did not hold citizenship in the country.
The funeral ceremony will be live streamed and will be accessible at https://youtu.be/GIickizg4IE to enable his family, the Spiritans and Lay Spiritan Associates in Malawi and Mozambique, as well as Fr. John’s many friends and admirers in different countries around the world, to participate in the event.
As we entrust our deceased brother to the loving mercy of the Father, we continue to pray for his elderly parents and the members of his family in Mozambique as they mourn the passing of their loved one.
May the Risen Lord grant him eternal Peace.
Kieran Ogechi ALARIBE
Secretary General
I have just noticed this death notice, I worked with John in South Africa in OTP from Ireland, we both served in Clermont Parish in Durban as seminarians. If you can please pass on my condolences to his family, He was an absolute gentleman. If it is not appropiate can I ask how he died, as he is still a young man.
Fran Kearns