It is with great sadness and grief that our Monastic Community asks for your prayers for the repose of the soul of Vuyo Kenneth Tjeku.
While he was not a vowed member of our community, Vuyo joined the Priory in August 2019 as our Facilities Manager. Over the next three years, he would live at the Priory and work alongside us every day.
When the Prior was away in the United States for three months to attend Provincial Synod, he remained at the Priory with one of our students and managed the house and Elizabeth, only about 8 weeks old; she would become his constant companion and Vuyo was her favourite person; even more so than our Prior. It was a sad day for him when he saw her off onto the plane in July 2022 to fly to the USA, especially as he had to stay behind.
We cannot begin to number the accomplishments that our community made thanks to Vuyo. Our Church in Khuma would not have ever been started had it not been for his getting the permission from the local ward councilor, his neighbour, for us to build and to choose a stand; and he along with the Prior and other community members would build the church themselves.
Vuyo was always a reluctant servant to the Lord, and did not appreciate going to liturgical services, but nevertheless, he followed our Lord’s Second Commandment better than anyone we knew—he loved his neighbour; especially the children in our section of Khuma. He helped gather them in to our feeding program, Scout Program, and any event that we had, and was always the dutiful driver; he loved to drive and learned how to drive from our Prior; much to the wear and tear on our poor vehicle!
Vuyo had a great love for his son, Vuyolwethu, who was born in February 2021 and who always strived to do the best by him, including adding nappies (and chocolate and potato chips..and..and..and) to the trolley when at Checkers when no one was looking!
While he loved working for us, we knew that he could not do it forever and we provided him with a scholarship to attend security school which he completed right before Covid hit South Africa; it would be 3 years later that he actually started his career in Security, working in Potchefstroom in the middle of 2024. He was so happy to be working and sent the Prior a message in November, thanking him for all the support over the years and letting us know that he would not be where he was without the Prior and he was very grateful.
Our community has maintained contact with Vuyo since our relocation to the USA and he works for us when the Prior is back in South Africa for his annual visit; unfortunately, this year we did not get to see him but heard from him often. On Christmas Eve, He sent the Prior a message and photos of his Christmas tree at home that he had just put up, saying that it was his favourite tree; this was only 4 hours before his murder; the Prior was preparing for Lessons and Carols and could not talk long; something he regrets.
The news of his killing has hit our community particularly hard; all of us, Fr. Moses, Br. Andries, Fr. Prior, and Fr. Cebo are all mourning his loss and are struggling to understand the circumstances of his murder that are shocking to us and grieve us greatly, but we shall not go into those details.
We ask you to pray for the repose of his soul, remember his mother Elizabeth and sister Bonny, and pray for the family of his killer, who are suffering as well. Two sons were lost on that day……
The Prior has made a memorial video to help with our grief. We are sharing it on Facebook and Youtube; it does have copyrighted music so we do expect that it will be muted or even violate some rules; in that event it will be available for direct download on our website. www.stilfonteinpriory.org
Fr. Damien, OSB
Prior
