Asher Kaufman, at 18, set out on June 28 for a yearlong trip to help spread the Children's Rosary in Europe and Africa. He spent the months of July, August and the first two weeks in September in France. He arrived in Uganda on September 15. From Uganda he traveled by car to Rwanda on September 28. After a week in Rwanda there was once more a return for more travel in Uganda. On October 11 he arrived in Tanzania and on October 26 traveled to Kenya. A visit for three weeks to Madagascar followed on November 7 and then South Africa. He spent several weeks in Cameroon and then the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Angola, South Africa and Mozambique followed. There was a relatively short journey through Botswana and Namibia. This dispatch chronicles his return to South Africa and journey to Lesotho.
After arriving back in Johannesburg from our exciting trip to Namibia and Botswana, there was still one place left to go, one more expedition to set forth on. That, of course, was Lesotho. We have never had any Children’s Rosary groups in Lesotho that we know of, and yet it is a very Catholic country and one with a very profound and developed spirituality.
A family member of Gail’s named Pavel generously agreed to drive us into Lesotho on short notice, and so the three of us set out a day after arriving back from Namibia.
Unlike Namibia, Lesotho is a mountainous and chilly nation, often called the “Switzerland of Africa.” And it is true that the natural, rocky beauty of Lesotho is quite impressive. It is the kind of country that seems built for a camping trip. I found the weather to be surprisingly pleasant, rather like a crisp New England October day and not overly cold, even in the early mornings.
Our drive (as you might expect by this this point) took rather longer than we had anticipated. We only arrived in Mohale’s Hoek (the diocese we were staying in) at about 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon, and we had left around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.
We were hosted by Bishop John Tlhomola, the bishop of Mohale’s Hoek, and by Sister Elizabeth, a nun who also worked at the chancery. His Excellency very generously gave us two rooms within the compound where he lives.
Sr. Elizabeth was instrumental to the organization of the events that transpired during our visit. In fact, on the very afternoon of our arrival, we immediately went straight for a local school that had just finished their school day. In the late afternoon chill, we stood outside with them and spoke about the Rosary. I found that their participation was quite admirable and their interest high, which of course I was pleased to encounter.
The next morning was Sunday. We had morning Mass at a local parish, which was replete with dancing and singing. I was able to recognize some of the words in Sesotho as they seemed to bear a resemblance to those of the Setswana language we had heard in Botswana. I was later told that they came from the same language family and that speakers of either language could understand speakers of the other with relative ease.
We were given the opportunity to speak after the Mass, and the animators of the children were so very interested by our address on the Rosary (which by this point had come through much refining after various visits in Botswana and Namibia) that they gathered the children in a nearby grotto afterward for a longer session with us.
We crossed the border almost immediately as the towns we had been visiting sit right on that demarcation, but the drive afterward stretched on longer than I think we had anticipated. Those of you who read my last post will assuredly be familiar with our overnight journey through Botswana and Namibia that occurred on my last road trip. Even though this trip was not through the night, nevertheless I do recall feeling so tired as the evening wore on that I realized at some point after 10:00 p.m. that we desperately needed to keep the rather pitifully uninteresting conversation we were in the midst of going so as not to fall completely asleep. I was worried even for Pavel, the man who had volunteered to drive us. Thankfully, the conversation continued, and everyone remained awake until we crossed safely into Johannesburg. It had been a long day, and I was glad to not have to set my alarm for the next morning.
The next few days were, of course, my last in South Africa. We remained quite occupied, what with meetings and distribution of materials.
On Tuesday, we went up to Pretoria with Cecilia from that archdiocese. We visited the Cathedral where we spoke with some people from the chancery. There, they mentioned that they had interest in organizing a Rosary procession in October such as they had had in Pretoria in years gone by. We thought this would be a wonderful idea, especially since the children of the Children's Rosary were to lead the Rosary for all the attendees. After this, by a blessed chance, we happened to see the archbishop as we went into the chancery. We were not supposed to see him that day, but we did, and we were able to give him materials concerning the Children's Rosary that we had promised to give. Overall, it was a gratifying day and I look forward to what will happen with the Children's Rosary in the Archdiocese of Pretoria.
On Wednesday night, we had a dinner with some of the members of the Lebanese Maronite Catholic Church in South Africa. Thanks to Gail’s coordination, they would soon be praying a cross-country Rosary with a Children’s Rosary group in Lebanon. We saw Br. Ramzi, Joumana, and Fr. Saade of Our Lady of Cedars Catholic Church. It was a lovely dinner, and I was so glad that they are part of our South African Children’s Rosary team.
Interestingly, just before we entered the restaurant, we were still standing in the parking lot when we heard much shouting and saw people running. A group of store workers gathered around a car and began blocking and kicking it. The car drove towards the exit but then was blocked by a car coming in, and whoever was inside was made to get out. As the scene developed, people began running from all corners to see what was happening and to help in collaring those in the car. Apparently, as we learned from a coffee shop worker as she walked back from the scene, the would-be escapees were pickpocketers who had managed to make off with some goods from people on the opposite side of the strip mall; they had been spotted, and thus the chase that I witnessed.
The next day, Thursday, Gail and I visited the printer who was the one printing our Children’s Rosary book locally in South Africa, a wonderful Christian enterprise that incidentally did a very nice job printing our book. That evening, we met with Fr. Deneys Williamson, the head of the Catechetical Department for Archdiocese of Johannesburg. Fr. Williamson was a very delightful priest with a thoughtful, refined manner of speaking and very open and easy demeanor. He had helped us in making sure the Children’s Rosary was officially approved to go in the Archdiocese.
We wrapped up the evening by meeting Fr. Jean-Marie, the chancellor for the archdiocese, and someone else who has greatly helped us, for dinner. Fr. Jean-Marie had helped us, for instance, get a brief opportunity to meet Cardinal Brislin back in December 2025, and he had also connected me with the vicar for the Archdiocese of Kinshasa when I was in that neighborhood.
The next day, Friday, was my last in South Africa. The main event for that day was the brunch that Gail worked so hard to put together with all of the Children’s Rosary team leads from the Johannesburg area who could attend where we had some time to get to know each other and also some strategic discussion on how to implement the groups further in the Archdiocese.
We saw, in the course of things, some of the other tables getting a birthday celebration that included restaurant employees bringing over a cake with a candle and singing a traditional birthday tune while everyone claps along. Somehow my birthday came up in the discussion; Gail said that she had forgotten to send some birthday message back in February and that, in place of that, she would have them come with a cake for me. I was mortified, not the least of which because I felt like a birthday fraud. What should happen if they asked my birthday.
“Well, actually, it’s in February,” I would inevitably answer.
I could see it happening before my eyes.
But yet, nothing of the sort did happen. They brought the cake, sang the song, and everyone loved it, including me.
However, all good things must come to an end, and after the brunch, off we went, Gail and I, to the airport. She dropped me at the check-in desk, and I began the next phase to my trip which would take me back to Europe. How I fared on the journey back to that ancient continent I will leave for the next installment.
To see all of Asher's dispatches from his journey click HERE
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