Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Fr. Lawrence Ofentse Pheto, a priest of the Diocese of Gaborone, as the new Bishop of Francistown, marking a new chapter of pastoral leadership for the Catholic Church in northeastern Botswana.
The appointment, announced on April 10, 2026, by the Apostolic Nuncio to Southern Africa, Archbishop Henryk Mieczysław Jagodziński, brings an end to the vacancy that followed the death of Bishop Anthony Pascal Rebello in May 2024. Since then, the Diocese of Francistown has been under the care of Apostolic Administrator Fr. Gabriel Lionel Afagbegee, SVD.
Born on March 12, 1976, in Ramotswa, Botswana, Bishop-elect Pheto was ordained a priest on October 8, 2005, by Bishop Boniface Tshosa Setlalekgosi at St. Conrad’s Catholic Mission. His formation for the priesthood took him to Zimbabwe, where he studied philosophy at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Bulawayo and theology at Chishawasha Regional Major Seminary in Harare between 1998 and 2005.
Seeking to deepen his service to the Church, he later pursued advanced studies in canon law, obtaining a Licentiate from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome between 2009 and 2012. Over the course of his priestly ministry, he has combined pastoral care with leadership and formation, serving in parish assignments in Mmankgodi and Tlokweng, as well as contributing to priestly formation as Rector of both the Minor Seminary and Pre-Major Seminary, and as Vocation Director within the Diocese of Gaborone.
Since 2013, he has also served as Judicial Vicar at the diocesan tribunal, bringing his expertise in canon law to the Church’s judicial ministry. From February 2017 until his appointment, he served as Parish Priest of St. Theresa Parish in Lobatse, where he was actively engaged in strengthening parish life, supporting families, and promoting youth ministry.
The Diocese of Francistown, which falls under the metropolitan jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Pretoria, serves an estimated 31,000 Catholics across vast rural and urban communities. The appointment of Bishop-elect Pheto, the third bishop of the diocese, is expected to bring renewed pastoral direction and stability following nearly two years of vacancy.
With his background in pastoral ministry, priestly formation, and canon law, Bishop-elect Pheto is set to guide the local Church through a period of continuity and growth, as Catholics in Francistown look ahead to a new era of leadership and mission.
Discussion about this post