Across the rural parishes and small towns of northern Idaho, one Catholic priest has made himself a constant — and colorful — presence. Rev. Sipho Mathabela, 63, serves as a roving fill-in pastor for parishes spread across the Idaho Panhandle, stepping in wherever a congregation needs him and becoming a beloved figure in communities that might otherwise go without a priest on any given Sunday.
Mathabela was born in Swaziland, South Africa, and has spent nearly two decades serving in the Diocese of Boise. His home parish is St. Alphonsus in the Idaho Panhandle, but his ministry extends well beyond a single congregation. He regularly covers St. George’s parish, which encompasses three separate churches in Post Falls, Rathdrum, and Spirit Lake — a geographic stretch that would exhaust many clergy.
A Journey Shaped by Hardship and Faith
Mathabela’s path to the priesthood was forged through extraordinary personal loss. His mother died during his birth, leaving him an orphan from his very first moments. His father was later shot and killed during Mathabela’s childhood in Swaziland. It was the Catholic Church — through the care of Dominican Sisters from Germany who provided clothing to students at his school — that offered him a foundation during those difficult early years. That connection to the faith never left him.
Those who have encountered Mathabela describe a priest whose joy is as unmistakable as it is contagious. Deacon Vince Perry put it plainly: “He is readily available and always joyously answers calls. He has a great sense of humor, rolls easily with challenges and is just so full of enthusiasm that he never needs a microphone.”
Mathabela’s own philosophy of ministry is direct and rooted in scripture. “We are here for Jesus, not ourselves. We are followers of Christ,” he has said. “The church is the people, not the building.” It is a perspective that fits naturally with a priest who moves fluidly between communities rather than anchoring himself behind a single set of walls.
A Familiar Figure in Northern Idaho Pews
Long-time parishioners across the region have taken note of his commitment. Steven Skreenock, who has attended St. Stanislaus parish for 27 years and serves as head of the local Knights of Columbus, has seen many priests come and go. He counts Mathabela among the most dependable and spirited. Evelyn Corrigan, a five-year member of St. Joseph parish, echoes that sentiment — in a region where Catholic congregations can be separated by miles of wheat fields and winding highways, a priest willing to show up consistently carries significant weight.
Part of what makes Mathabela immediately recognizable is a small sartorial detail: he wears cowboy boots roughly nine out of ten times. For a man born in southern Africa who has made his pastoral home in Idaho cattle and farming country, it is a fitting symbol of the unlikely journey that brought him here — and his full embrace of the place he now calls home.
Northern Idaho’s Catholic communities face the same challenges as rural congregations across the Mountain West: aging populations, spread-out geography, and an ongoing shortage of available clergy. Priests willing to travel between assignments and step in on short notice are genuinely irreplaceable. Mathabela’s willingness to serve in that capacity has made him a trusted fixture across multiple congregations in the Diocese of Boise.
Faith-based community life remains a cornerstone of small-town Idaho, and the kind of service Mathabela provides helps sustain that tradition. Northern Idaho is home to a wide range of religious communities, and organizations like the LDS Church, which recently delivered more than 35,600 pounds of food to the Palouse region, reflect the broader spirit of faith-driven service that runs through the area’s fabric.
What Comes Next
Mathabela shows no signs of slowing his circuit through northern Idaho’s Catholic parishes. With the Diocese of Boise continuing to rely on dedicated clergy to serve dispersed rural congregations, his role as a fill-in pastor remains as essential as ever. For the parishioners who have come to know him — whether in Post Falls, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, or beyond — Sunday Mass is a little brighter when Father Sipho walks in, boots and all.
For those interested in other ways northern Idaho communities gather and celebrate shared traditions, the thriving arts and cultural scene across Moscow and Pullman offers a look at the many anchors of community life across the region.