Abel Gabuza one of six children born in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg. He studied towards his Priesthood at St Paul’s Minor Seminary and St Peter’s Major Seminary in Hammanskraal. His studies were interrupted after the first year when he went to work in a factory. but returned to complete his degree at St John Vianney.
1985 – 1987 Parish Priest
1987 – 1988 Studied towards a Master’s Degree in Theology at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkley, California USA.
1991 – 1994 Lectured at St Paul Preparatory Seminary in Hammanskraal, worked his way up to be a Rector.
1995 – returned to Parish Priest
1999 – Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Pretoria
2009 – Apostolic Administrator.
23 December 2010 Appointed Bishop of Kimberley Diocese by Pope Benedict
19 March 2011 – Episcopal Consecration from Jabulani Adatus Nxumalo, Archbishop of Bloemfontein Diocese
9 December 2018 – Nominated as Coadjutor Archbishop of Durban to success Cardinal Wilfrid Napier.
10 February 2019 Reception at St Henry Marist College
He served as President of the Justice & Peace Commission in the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference. His focus was on numerous challenges facing workers, drawing from his personal experience as a factory worker. A reputable forthright, respected and outspoken Bishop on matters of corruption and social justices.
In April 2020 he supported government restrictions on public assemblies, including Church services, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and called on priests to find creative responses. He said, “the Church of Christ started small in homes not in big structures that we have today. In a way we are going back to our roots because each family is a domestic Church. When we come together on Sundays or any other day we gather as various domestic churches.”
Archbishop Abel Gabuza was called to rest on 17 January 2021. He is survived by his sister Hildegarde, his brother Lawrence, and his cousin and best friend Khomotso.
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