The Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe says it is committed in fostering good citizenship by investing in the lives of its young people in the Catholic Church.

This commitment has been reaffirmed by Archbishop George Desmond Tambala on 14th August 2025, during his pastoral visit and confirmation Mass at Kamwendo zone of Guillime Parish in Mchinji District.

Archbishop George Tambala on his first day at Pinda Zone, administering the Sacrament of Confirmation

Archbishop Tambala highlighted that the archdiocese has spent the past two years developing a comprehensive youth pastoral plan.

“In the past two years, we have been working on a master pastoral plan which clearly indicates that the archdiocese puts the youth at heart.”

Additionally, the Archbishop expressed his gratitude for the growth of the Catholic Church, saying the number of 682 of boys and girls who were confirmed at Kamwendo and Pinda Zones at the parish is a clear indication of the church’s growth.

On second day, the Archbishop Tambala administered the Sacrament of Commission to 525 adolescents at Kamwendo Zone

Following the conclusion of his pastoral visit to Msukwala, Kafulama, and Guilleme zones, Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 1,198 adolescents and the Sacrament of the Eucharist to 553 children.

Echoing the words of Archbishop George Tambala, Auxiliary Bishop Mwakhwawa called on youths to embrace their roles as active missionaries and committed members of the Church.

His Lordship expressed his admiration for the growth of the Church and highlighted several challenges that need attention. He urged Christians at Guilleme Parish to serve the Church with zeal and to actively participate in all church activities.

On his first day, Bishop Mwakhwawa administered sacrament of confirmation and inspected the land with Zone church leaders

After confirmation, Bishop Mwakhwawa and Kafulama Zone church leaders inspect the land that the church occupiesBishop Mwakhwawa emphasized that the Archdiocese of Lilongwe has strategic plans to empower children and youths, spiritually and socially, recognizing them as the future leaders of the Church.

“This is a good sign for us as a Church, seeing an increasing number of children. However, we have noted the need for more formation. When the number of children is large but there are few teachers, the quality of formation can be compromised,” said Bishop Mwakhwawa.

Bishop Mwakhwawa giving Sacrament of Confirmation to the adolescents at Kafulama Zone

During his visit to Kafulama Zone, Bishop Mwakhwawa raised concern over the lack of a secondary school in the area, which forces youths to walk long distances to access education. He noted that Mchinji District has one of the highest rates of child marriages in the country and urged parents and traditional leaders to convene and discuss the possibility of establishing a secondary school.

“There is no secondary school in this community, which leads to school dropouts and early marriages, not out of choice, but due to lack of motivation. As a Church, we are concerned. I will report to the archbishop who sent me here, so we can plan together with the community and their Member of Parliament to construct a secondary school,” he said.

In her remarks, Mary Mandala, one of the adolescents confirmed at Kafulama Zone, applauded Bishop Mwakhwawa’s gesture, stating that having a secondary school in their area would significantly reduce cases of child marriage.

Mary Mandala

“Having a secondary school here would be a great motivation for us. We walk long distances to access education, and due to these challenges, many girls opt for marriage after completing Standard Eight,” she said.

Responding to the Bishop’s call, Group Village Head Kafulama, through a representative, pledged to engage fellow chiefs and the area’s Member of Parliament to explore ways of making the school a reality.

“We will sit down with my fellow chiefs to find ways to ensure that the secondary school is constructed in our area, as guided and requested by Bishop Mwakhwawa,” the representative said.

Cosmas Phiri, Vice Chairperson of Guilleme Parish, expressed gratitude to Archbishop Tambala and Bishop Mwakhwawa for their pastoral visit and for administering the Sacraments of Confirmation, Baptism, and Eucharist to the children. He noted that the visit had greatly motivated the children in their spiritual lives.

Phiri added that the Parish Council would convene to strategize on how to enhance participation in church activities and continue teaching Catholic social teachings, as requested by Bishop Mwakhwawa.

Kafulama Zone after the Sacrament of Confirmation and Eucharist

During the visit, Bishop Mwakhwawa also toured the church premises in Kafulama and Msukwala zones and held discussions with church leaders on how to safeguard and protect church land.

From this pastoral visit at Guilleme Parish by Archbishop George Tambala and Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa, a total of 1880 received the Sacrament of Confirmation, 553 received the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and 102 received the Sacrament of Baptism.

Guilleme Parish comprises five zones and serves over 10,000 Christians.

By Titus Jata Phiri and Lester Mhone