Sam Kalimba:

Bishop Mtumbuka (c) with the new Seminarians.

The Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) has commended the administration of the St. Anthony (Kachebere) Major Seminary located in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe for the strides so far made after the reopening.

Speaking on the occasion of the 2021 Cassock’s day celebration on Saturday, 17 July 2021, ECM’s Bishop Chairman responsible for Seminaries and Education, Rt. Rev. Martin Mtumbuka was thankful to the Sulpician priests who are providing administration services at the Seminary.

The ceremony of conferring cassocks to the seminarians marks the beginning of the first step of their journey towards priesthood as they also commence their philosophical studies.

“Thanks to the Rector Fr. Patrick Simutowe and your fellow Sulpician priests for transforming Kachebere Major Seminary. In 2018, the seminary had to close due to shortage of members of staff and formators. When you, Sulpicians from Zambia were contacted, you gladly accepted to come and assist. Your presence means a lot to the Church in Malawi and it was good that we had such challenges that we see what Kachebere is now,” said Bishop Mtumbuka who is the Ordinary for the Catholic Diocese of Karonga.

He however, emphasized that as the Sulpician priests are not there to stay for good, the local clergy in Malawi should appreciate their good work at Kachebere as a transitional process. He therefore thanked the local clergy under the Episcopal Conference of Malawi who are working in collaboration with the team of priests of the Society of St. Sulpice to run the seminary and give formation to the seminarians.

“To you my fellow Malawian clergy who are working with our brother priests the Sulpicians, I salute you. I also extend our episcopal blessings for your kind gesture that is defined in your spirit of humility and hard work. We urge you to keep up the spirit so that together we may achieve the objectives of the Seminary,” added Bishop Mtumbuka.

The Seminary welcomed 46 young men who received their cassocks. His Lordship Bishop Martin Mtumbuka applauded the first-year seminarians for having taken a step further on their journey towards priesthood. He encouraged them to respond to the Lord positively as Samuel did (1 Samuel 3:1-11).

In his homily, Bishop Mtumbuka drew from Jesus’ Gospel teachings and life that seminarians ought to have a spirit of detachment from worldly things if they are to become good and effective priests in future. Here he referred to material things and bad behaviors.

“Jesus died on the cross naked. He accepted to die such a humiliating death in order to save humanity. He did not cling to his glory as son of God. So, learn to be like him,” preached His Lordship.

He emphasized the point that the Church needs priests whose lives can have an impact on the people they are ministering.

Rt. Rev. Mtumbuka also pointed out that when seminarians encounter problems, they need to turn to Jesus himself the owner of priestly vocation.

Of the 46 seminarians, 8 are from the Diocese of Chikwawa; 10 are from the Archdiocese of Blantyre; 6 are from the Diocese of Dedza; 3 are from Diocese of Karonga; 8 are from the Archdiocese of Lilongwe; 3 are from the Diocese of Mangochi and 8 from the Diocese of Mzuzu with none from the Diocese of Zomba.

By Sam Kalimba

Saint Paul’s Minor Seminary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe received a donation of teaching and learning materials on Saturday 10 July, 2021. T

The donation was made by St. Paul’s (Mlale) Seminary Alumni Association which is composed of ex-seminarians and Priests who went through the seminary since its inception in 1963.

Speaking as he received the donation, the Rector of the Seminary Rev. Fr. Peter Kapiri expressed gladness to the association and the seminary’s duty boundedness to ensure that the materials are well taken care of.

“It is a great honor to receive the timely donation of books at a time that the Seminary needed them. With changes in syllabi, we tend to shed-off a good number of books without an immediate plan to replace them. Learners relied on few books but with this donation we feel relieved. On behalf of the pupils and members of staff, I thank the Alumni Association for fulfilling what they had pledged,” said Fr. Kapiri.

Chairperson for the Alumni Association of Saint Paul Seminary Mr. Joseph Diele thanked members of the association for making the donation possible from their personal contributions.

“Most members of the Alumni Association are married and for them to take part of their small earnings to contribute towards this cause is a sign of sacrifice from them and their spouses. I personally thank them all for their contribution.  I also thank priests who are members of the association for contributing as alumni as this is a sign of humility and a spirit of togetherness,” said Diele.

According to Diele, the Association donated books in science and literature subjects as per recommendation by the  Rector who made during the 2021 annual general meeting where  he was present as a guest. He said that individual members and cohorts are further mobilizing more resources for the same exercise.

In 2020, the Alumni Association assisted the Seminary with Covid19 response materials.

At present, the Seminary has a maximum capacity of 250 learners with a single stream for Forms 2 to 4 and double stream for Form 1.

Sam Kalimba

A 29-year-old Church building that was expanded 15 years ago can no longer host the 17, 000 Christians that Kaggwa Woyera Catholic Parish has grown to be as per 2013 census. “This is the very basic reason a new, magnificent and towering church building needs to be constructed across the Kaunda road,” says Mr. Emmanuel Mwase the incumbent Vice Chairperson of the Parish.

According to Mwase, in order to fulfil the dream, the Parish engaged some fundraising activities from the first half of the year 2021 that has seen the project acquiring start up 20 tonnes of quarry dust, 20 tonnes of river sand and 100 bags of cement raised from pledges. He also said that from the same resources raised the land that will host the new building was cleared in readiness for the start of the construction.

On 7^th June 2021, the Parish Priest for the Catholic Parish of Kaggwa Woyera Rev. Fr. Constantine Mgunda with one of his curates, Fr. Gerald Kubetcha launched a raffle draw fundraising activity that seeks to raise over MK25, 000,000.00 in the last half of the year 2021.

“We are giving away a 30 x 15-meter residential plot at Mthunzi Heritage near Lilongwe MDF Air base as first prize while unregistered Mitsubishi half toner truck is the second prize with a defy 4 coil-cooker is the third prize. We urge not only Catholics to participate in this raffle draw but even non-Catholics should join in not only for the purpose of winning the prizes but for the sole reason to help build the house of the Lord,” said Fr. Mgunda.

Dr. Elvis Salagi, the Church Council Chairperson who is also steering the raffle draw said that all the prize items had been procured procedurally and that it is only change of ownership that awaits the winners come December 2021.

“Let me assure the

Fr. Mgunda (C) with some of the Parishioners

prospective owners of these items that they will own virgin properties. They will have to register them under their own names. All what they have to do is to buy a ticket pegged at MK2,000.00 only for them to own the properties,” said Salagi during the official launch of the competition.

Kaggwa Woyera Parish is situated to the north of Bingu National Stadium and currently has 10 outstations with over 200 Small Christian Communities. It was founded by the Friars of Capuchin Missionary in 1992 and from 2015 it was handed over to the local ordinary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe.