Background
Father Francis Bradley, Parish Priest of Buncrana, celebrated the Requiem Mass for Matt Sanele Sibanda RIP, in The Oratory, Buncrana, at 9.30am today.
The Proceedings begin with the playing of the Zimbabwean National Anthem
Welcome by Buhle – a member of the Sibanda family
Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming today to honour and remember the life of my beloved nephew, Matt fondly known as Sanele when we translated to English it means we are content.
We gather in this holy place, with hearts that are heavy with sorrow. The pain of losing him so suddenly taken from us in the ocean’s vast embrace is something we are still struggling to understand. But even in our grief, we come together in faith, knowing that God walks with us, especially in our suffering.
Matt was a truly special soul. He was a humble young man never one to seek the spotlight, never one to boast. He moved through life with quiet dignity and deep respect for others. Whether speaking with elders or playing with younger children, he carried himself with grace. You could see his goodness in the way he treated people with kindness, patience, and sincerity.
He was the kind of person who made others feel seen, heard, and valued. That is a rare gift, and one that touched everyone who knew him. Though his life was far too short, Matt left us with memories and moments that will live on forever. He may no longer walk beside us, but he lives in our hearts in his gentle smile, in his respectful words, in the quiet strength of his presence. The ocean, in all its mystery, took him from this world, but we believe that God, in His infinite mercy, received him with open arms. As Catholics, we hold to the hope and promise of eternal life. We trust that Matt is now in the presence of our Lord, where there is no more sorrow, only peace and joy.
In the days ahead, let us honour his life by living as he did with humility, with respect, and with love. Let us draw close to one another, support one another, and pray for his soul and for all who mourn. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
Mass begins with the Safe Haven Choir singing It is Well with My Soul
Introduction by Father Francis Bradley
On this quiet morning, like many before us, we gather here in prayer. Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judea. There has been much visitation during the past three weeks since the tragedy that befell us. We are delighted that other members of Matt Sibanda’s family have made the long journey here to be with us and his family today. I welcome most especially Matt’s mother, Bonnie, his younger sister Sandy; his older sister Modest and brother Timber, his esteemed grandmother Josephine, members of his extended family, and his family and friends from The Old HSE Building and other places.
I welcome Commandant Joe Glennon, Aide de Camp to An Taoiseach, representing Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, and his Chaplain, Father Daniel McFaul. I welcome Matt’s school, Crana College, Buncrana with their Principal Kevin Cooley; I welcome Scoil Mhuire Principal Evelyn McLoughlin with some of her pupils. I welcome the Safe Haven Church Community with their leaders Ruth and Andrew Garvey-Williams. I welcome representatives of the Emergency Services especially An Garda Síochána, The RNLI, The Coastguard, and the Ambulance Service.
I welcome all from near and far away who join us this morning whether here or through our webcam services. We are here to pray for the eternal repose of Matt’s soul, that God, in his mercy, will hear the cries of his mother and us as his people. In the sanctuary here, is an African painting of the Crucifixion, we see Adam and Eve in the background coming to terms with their loss of paradise because of the Fall in Eden. In the foreground we see Mary, the New Eve, coming to terms with her loss, but also with the new vision of the Second Adam, her Son hanging on the Cross. Like Mary the Mother of God, on this Feast of her Visitation to Elizabeth, we too gather here in quiet hope. In the deep bond of faith, with so many women of deep faith, we pray … Lord Jesus, …
First Reading by Nicole
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles After Jesus was taken up into heaven the apostles went back from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a sabbath walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James. All these joined
in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
The word of the Lord.
Psalm: The Lord bless you and keep you by Choir of Crana College, Buncrana
Second Reading by Kevin Cooley, Principal of Crana College, Buncrana
A reading from the Book of Revelation
I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.’
The word of the Lord.
Gospel by Father Francis Bradley
A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.
Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things to me. Holy his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he had routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. and then went back home.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Homily
Today, the Church invites us to recall and celebrate the moment when Mary who had only very recently been told by the Archangel Gabriel that she would conceive and bear a Son upped and left her home to go visit her cousin Elizabeth who was herself expecting a baby too. This happened in the hill country of Judah, at a place today called Ein Karem. When visiting the quiet enclave seven years ago, I found it to be a place of immense solace and peace; in a sense you could still feel the presence there of not only these two great women, Mary and Elizabeth, but their two even greater children, Jesus and John the Baptist.
Over the past three weeks, there has been a lot of visiting going on locally, especially in the light of the tragic deaths of Matt Sibanda and his good friend Emmanuel Familola. The events of the afternoon of 10 May last will remain with us for a long time. While some distance has been drawn now from those terrible moments, the loss of Matt and Emmanuel is still an open wound, a sore blow for all of us, but most especially for his grieving family. We are all struggling still to come to terms with the loss, still speechless at the suddenness of it, still heartbroken at the enormity of it. While the world has moved on in some respects, we are nevertheless still numbed by the sadness of what happened. For these reasons and more we feel the need to reach out in hope to one another and to God in a search for peace more than answers, and for the healing consolation which can only ever come from the heart of God alone.
And we are being visited here these days by other members of the Zimbabwean family throughout Donegal and Ireland – and very especially by Matt’s Grandmother Josephine, his sister Modest and his brother Thembalethu. Like Mary going to see Elizabeth, they have come to offer support and encouragement to Matt’s mother, Bonnie, and his little sister, Sandy. Today too, others come in visitation: amongst them Commandant Joe Glennon, Aide de Camp to An Taoiseach, representing Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, namely, the Government and the Nation. As with the Visitation of Mary, the Mother of God, to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, there is a deeper encounter going on here too – for at this time and in this place we are being visited by God himself. For this we must always give thanks.
Matt Sanele Sibanda was born on 4 April 2007, the third child in his family. With an older sister, Modest, and brother, Thembalethu, whilst his Christian name, Matt, derived from the Apostle Matthew, his second name Sanele means “complete, content, enough” – his mother Bonnie felt that with his birth, the family was now complete, she was content, this was enough. But then the God of surprises had other plans, and just seven years ago, another beautiful gift of grace arrived with the birth of Sandy.
From his earliest days in Zimbabwe through to his time here in Buncrana, Matt has always been recognised for his quiet but sociable presence, his smiling face and his ability to always listen and respond with a deeply respectful and generous heart. In the Old HSE Building which became his home since his arrival here in late 2023, Matt was the eldest child, and with his great gifts and talents, particularly the respect he showed to everyone but most especially to his mother, he became a natural leader – a first among equals. He was undeniably wise and good beyond his years with an ability to sit with other children reading, debating and learning with great enthusiasm, always curious to know a little more. His surname, Sibanda, means “Lion”.
Our new Pope has taken the name Leo, which also means “Lion”. Pope Leo and Matt Sibanda shared something important in common – their ability to listen to all sides of the debate, never judging, but helping all sides to reach a better solution. All of this stemmed from his profound respect for his mother. He always listened to her and he never ever spoke back to her even once throughout his eighteen years. A man of few words, a good and kind boy, a humble kid who would play with the other children, always looking out for his sister Sandy. He adored her, and she him. He would watch her when his Mam was working; he taught her to ride a bike; he would play piggy back with her and chase her after school – always kind and happy. He had the perfect balance in life, for he loved food, healthy food, and loved exercising, lifting weights; ironically, he was a powerful swimmer.
In the Book of Numbers, we hear a prophet there described as “the man with the far-seeing eyes, the one who hears the word of God”. In so many ways, Matt Sibanda was a young prophetic figure for he was respectful of God too; he had a very prayerful soul. His mother tells of how, in the week before his untimely death, he spent more time than ever with her – lying with his head on her shoulder and he did when he was a little child. But there was a difference to him, for while he was with her and Sandy and very present to them, his gaze seemed to be into the distance, beyond the present moment. And just two days before his death he sang from Psalm 22 – He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him, let him deliver him, for he delights in him! And on that fateful day, Saturday 10 May, the three of them sat down to enjoy a full breakfast, what would be their last earthly meal together. It is now as if there was a deeper drama going on, something they were unaware of, but very powerful all the same. And isn’t that what our eyes of faith give us the ability to see, that deep beneath the appearance of things, there is a powerful movement taking place – in so many ways, the real drama of life.
Whilst it was a sinister and destructive force of nature which took Matt from us, a tidal current which lay beneath the seemingly tranquil and alluring waters of Lough Swilly, not all hidden realties are bad. For, as was mentioned earlier, behind, beneath and beyond the appearance of what we do here today and what we have been doing of late, it is God who is quietly but effectively soothing our hearts, quietening our minds and calming our souls. Today’s readings remind us of how and why he does this.
The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, telling what the early Church did in the immediate aftermath of the death of Christ – how they gathered together – and there was a Matthew there in the midst of them, and Mary was there too, together with other women. They joined in continuous prayer. This is what has been happening here too, since the very first moment: our prayers at the water’s edge that evening that Matt would be found, the prayer Vigil led by Bishop McKeown the very next day, the countless Masses and moments of prayer offered in public and in private since then. This is what we do as a believing people; it is our nature. The second reading giving us a view of what is happening on the other side of the veil we call death, in the heaven to which we are called and on the journey to which we naturally travel together in hope. And the Gospel account of the Visitation of Mary the Mother of God to her cousin Elizabeth – again, the natural reaction of a thoughtful and generous heart, wishing to share in the good news of the impending births of two children. Why else would Mary be proclaimed as the most blessed among women! Why else would she proclaim the goodness and greatness of God! And even in the midst of sadness a loss, for the gift of eternal life, we must still proclaim the goodness and greatness of God. I must finish with this. I draw your attention to the painting in the sanctuary, by the altar. It is the image of an African Crucifixion. It was painted during the Race Riots of the late 1960s in Detroit by an American artist called DeVon Cunningham who worked closely with the famous Father Ed Farrell. It was a response to those who asked “Give us a Black Christ.”
It arrived in this area only three months ago. In the background, it shows Adam and Eve in
the Garden of Eden, tortured souls coming to terms with the pain of The Fall. And then, in
the foreground, it shows Christ, the New Adam, hanging dead on the Cross, and to the front again, his Mother Mary sitting at the foot of the Cross, suffering yes, but with a serenity about her as she waits in the sure and certain hope that God is always faithful to his promises. And already, from behind the Cross can be seen the radiant light of the Resurrection. It is a powerful summary of what has been happening these past few weeks for us, as it happens for everyone at some time or other in their lives. The pain for loss, the silence of death, the waiting in hope, and the light of eternal life.
We must all learn something good even from the tragedy of loss. On the very day that Matt celebrated his birthday this year, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor helped unveil a beautiful statue of Friar Seamus Hegarty on the shore of Lough Swilly. The statue shows the Friar holding forth the Penal Cross. That is the image which gives us hope today. For behind, beneath and beyond the efforts we make to express our tender love, our prayer and the celebration of the Sacraments, within them and us there is the reality that it is the God of Life who is at work. This day three weeks ago, Bonnie and Sandy may have had their last earthly meal with Matt – but in this heavenly banquet which we call Mass, in this sacrificial meal, we encounter one another again as part of the Communion of Saints – for as we know, those who have gone from us have gone no further than God, and God is always near, never nearer than when we celebrate the Holy Eucharist.
He looked after his sister Sandy; he will always look after her and there’s no hiding place! And as Matt rested on his mother’s shoulder in the days before his death, so now we pray, on this Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that she will take him by the hand, leading him into the presence of her Son, for the greatest encounter of all, to be in the presence of the Living God for eternity. May Matt and Emmanuel now rest in peace.
Prayer of the Faithful
-Father Bradley:
Like the disciples in the early Church, gathered together we seek encouragement and consolation. Knowing that heaven gathers with us too, we pray with hope.
-Reader Ngqa:
For the Church, that in coming together and invoking the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Consolation and Peace, we may know your presence with us. Lord, hear us.
-Reader Fifi:
For family, neighbours and friends, here and in Zimbabwe, and for those who helped Matt through their medical expertise and expertise, their care and friendship; that we may all be granted the graces we need to live life as we should. Lord, hear us.
-Reader Kelly:
For those who live with sorrow, grief and loss – especially young people; that, like Matt, a
boy who listened and whose smile lit up a room, we and they might all learn to wait for the healing and consolation which only you can give. Lord, hear us.
-Reader Thando:
For this community whose gifts are many but whose needs are often greater still – that we may see how our strength is in you alone and, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, by following the example of Mary your Mother, we may pray with and visit each other, always finding hope.
Lord, hear us.
-Reader Nicole:
For Matt’s mother, Bonnie, his sisters Sandy and Modest, his brother Timber, his grandmother Josephine and all his family and many friends here and in Zimbabwe – that despite our sense of loss, we may thank you and praise you always for the goodness and kindness of Matt’s generous heart. Lord, hear us.
-Father Bradley:
For Matt, that through your merciful forgiveness, he may now enjoy life to the full in heaven as he brought life to so many on earth. We pray too for Emmanuel Familola, and all the deceased members of our families; may we know their closeness to us and their prayer for us still in the Communion of Saints. Lord, hear us.
-Father Bradley:
Father, your Son brought us life, the gift of eternal life. As we reach out to one another in kindness, we reach out to you in hope. Console us always and encourage us to console one another. Grant all our prayers through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
ENDS