The Anglican Church of Lesotho (ACL) is the third largest denomination in Lesotho, following the Roman Catholic Church (RC) and the Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa (LECSA). The very first contact of the Anglican Church with Basotho occurred in 1850 when Bishop Gray of Cape Town passed the borders of the country on one of his tours, but was unable to meet King Moshoeshoe I as he had wished.
The King heard about Bishop Gray’s visit, and subsequently sent emissaries to Bishop Gray saying that he (King Moshoeshoe I) would be happy to have the “Queen’s Church” in his country, and would welcome missionaries to establish the Anglican Church in what was then Basutoland.
The much-anticipated day of the 5th December 2021 has come and gone! The Diocese of Lesotho has a brand-new Bishop! The Right Revd. Dr Vicentia Refiloe Kgabe was ordained, consecrated and installed as the 7th Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lesotho in a moving ceremony that was held at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. James in the capital city of Maseru Lesotho on Sunday 5th December in the Year of Our Lord 2021.
The ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa His Grace Dr. Thabo Cecil Makgoba in a moving three-hour ceremony at the end of which the Registrar of the Anglican Diocese of Lesotho Adv Motiea Teele KC, made this solemn declaration: “I, Advocate Motiea Teele Registrar of the Diocese of Lesotho, do affirm that Vicentia Refiloe Kgabe is our undoubted Bishop” - to much clapping and ululation of the congregation that was present to witness this historic occasion.
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Ordination, Consecration and Installation of the Seventh Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lesotho