For parishioners across the Idaho Panhandle, Rev. Sipho Mathabela is a familiar face — and an unmistakable one. The 63-year-old Catholic priest, originally from Swaziland in southern Africa, has spent nearly two decades serving the Diocese of Boise, traveling between parishes throughout North Idaho as a roaming substitute priest whose energy and warmth have made him a beloved fixture in the region’s Catholic communities.
A Priest Who Covers the Ground
Mathabela’s home parish is St. Alphonsus in the Idaho Panhandle, but his ministry extends well beyond a single congregation. He regularly fills in across multiple parishes, including St. George’s, which maintains three church communities in Post Falls, Rathdrum, and Spirit Lake. His role as a traveling substitute means parishioners in communities scattered across Kootenai County can count on a familiar shepherd when their regular clergy are unavailable.
One detail about Mathabela tends to stick with people: cowboy boots. He wears them roughly ninety percent of the time — with vestments at Mass, and just about everywhere else, too. It is a small but telling detail about a man who has made North Idaho his adopted home after a life that began under far more difficult circumstances.
A Life Shaped by Hardship and Faith
Mathabela was born in Swaziland as the fifth child in his family. His mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by a circle of grandmothers and community members who stepped in to care for him. His father was later shot and killed when Mathabela was still a young boy — a tragedy made more painful by the involvement of a family member in his father’s death.
Despite that painful early life, Mathabela found his path through education and faith. Dominican Sisters from Germany, who served at his school, helped clothe him during those formative years. That early connection to religious service appears to have shaped the direction his life would eventually take.
After years of priestly formation and ministry, he arrived in Idaho and has remained. His nearly two decades of service to the Diocese of Boise have cemented his place in North Idaho’s Catholic life.
What Parishioners Say
Those who have worshipped with Mathabela tend to describe a priest who makes an impression quickly. Steven Skreenock, who has been a member of St. Stanislaus parish for 27 years and serves as head of the Knights of Columbus, has watched many clergy come and go. Deacon Vince Perry described Mathabela’s approach to ministry in direct terms: “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.”
Evelyn Corrigan, a St. Joseph parishioner for five years, is among those who have come to appreciate his presence in the community.
Mathabela himself speaks about his vocation in straightforward terms that reflect his priorities. “We are here for Jesus, not ourselves,” he has said. “We are followers of Christ. The church is the people, not the building.”
Faith Communities Across Kootenai County
Catholic parishes in rural and semi-rural areas of North Idaho — including communities like Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, and Post Falls — have long relied on priests willing to travel and serve multiple congregations. As the broader Catholic Church in the United States navigates a shortage of ordained clergy, roaming priests like Mathabela fill a practical and spiritual need that is particularly felt in smaller communities.
Mathabela’s story resonates in a region defined by a strong sense of community and independence. His willingness to cover ground — literally and spiritually — across the Panhandle reflects the kind of service-oriented commitment that smaller congregations often depend on to maintain their parish life.
North Idaho is home to a wide variety of faith communities whose events and gatherings contribute to civic life throughout the year. For more on events and community gatherings happening around Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County, visit our community events coverage.
What Comes Next
Mathabela shows no signs of slowing down. With parishes in Post Falls, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, and beyond counting on his availability, he continues to move through the Panhandle bringing Mass, sacraments, and a pastoral presence to communities that might otherwise go without. For North Idaho’s Catholic faithful, Father Sipho — as he is widely known — remains a steady and spirited presence in a region he has clearly called home for nearly two decades.