Members of the various congregations of priests, brothers and sisters of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe on 12 February, converged at the Monastery of the Poor Clares and Maula Cathedral to celebrate the Day of Consecrated Life. Traditionally, the event is celebrated on 2nd February, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Particular churches have the liberty to shift the day to suit their programmes.

The Archdiocese of Lilongwe celebrated this Day on 12th February. The function started with a talk by Rev. Fr. Henry Chinkanda from the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. Fr. Chinkanda took members through the Synod document, reminding the gathering the content of the document. He summarised the document for the people in that it invites all the faithful to walk together, to journey together. And as servants of God, we share the threefold mission of Christ, and that is: teaching mission, prophetic or priestly mission and kingly mission. Fr. Chinkanda emphasised the themes of the Synod, which include, participation, dialogue and mission among other.

Finally, he outlined the calendar of activities during the two years of the Synod:

• In December 2022, all Small Christian Communities should summit the Synod document responses to the Arch/dioceses
• In May 2023, the responses should be compiled and submitted to the Episcopal Conference of Malawi
• In July, 2023, Episcopal Conference of Malawi should submit all the responses from all the Arch/dioceses to the AMECEA office.

The event was concluded by the Holy Mass presided over by his Grace Archbishop George Tambala. He talked on communion, and suggested another day of meeting other than one day in a year.

The Salima District Executive Committee (DEC) has approved a project for Securing Livelihoods of 2000 smallholder farmers and subsistence fishermen. This means that CADECOM Lilongwe will be working in the district for the next three years. Apart from improving the livelihoods of the target groups, the project will also focus on conservation of the commons(fisheries, forest, soil)

Sisters of different congregations in Diocese of Dedza offering intercession prayers.

Sam Kalimba

DEDZA 5 FEBRUARY, 2022: The Catholic Church in Malawi launched the celebrations of 2022 pontifical missionary societies’ 4anniveraries at a function that took place at Dedza Parish in the Diocese of Dedza on 5th February 2022.

According to the National Director for the Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa, Pope Francis declared 2022 as the year that the Church should pray and thank God for the 400 years for the establishment of the Congregation for the Propaganda Fidei also known as Evangelisation of Peoples by Pope Gregory XV in 1622; 200 years of the foundation of the Missionary Society for the Propagation of faith by Pauline Marie Jaricot in 1822; 100 years of the establishment of Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) by Pope Pius XI in 1922 and 150 years of the birth of Blessed Paulo Manna, Born in 1872, founder of the Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU).
In a Mass that was presided over by the local ordinary, his Lordship Bishop Peter Adrian Chifukwa, Priests and the Religious working in the Diocese rekindled their consecrated life as one way of fulfilling the desire of Blessed Paulo Manna who according to Fr. Mwakhwawa perpetually prayed for the unity of priests and the religious all over the world even on his sick bed.

Bishop Chifukwa called on the religious and their superiors to translate the philosophy of the propaganda fidei initiated by Pope Gregory XV by opening the Church Catechesis to children and the youth as well as those willing to join the Church.

“To you Superiors of different congregations, I appeal to you to consider training some of the Sisters in Catechism so that apart from your Charisms and Traditions you also evangelize our youths before they look elsewhere for teachings. We have a lot of work in our parishes and we need your hand. This may be required only once in a week. I know you can manage to put to practice what we are being called to do this year as we celebrate the anniversaries,” said Chifukwa.

Fr. Mwakhwawa encouraged his counterparts in vine yard of the Lord to ensure taking the celebrations that will be at the climax on 23 October, 2022 when the Church will be commemorating the world mission Sunday to their parishes and small Christian communities.

“It is my humble appeal to you all fellow priests and the religious and including the laity to take these activities home. You are not expected to raise funds to celebrate these 4 anniversaries nor are you anticipated to organize specific functions for the same. All what you need to do is simply to offer thanksgiving prayers to the Lord, to teach and reflect on historical and missionary experiences over the past years and to do missionary awareness and pastoral plans for the future of the Church in Malawi and beyond for the coming 50 years, 100 years and 500 years,” Said Mwakhwawa.

The Church in Malawi shifted the initial plan of holding the event in Diocese of Chikwawa to Dedza due to poor road network caused by the cyclone Ana that affected the area.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Henry Saindi ECM Secretary General

Sam Kalimba

Catholic Secretariat: The Catholic Church across the world will celebrate four anniversaries (Jubilees) according the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi.

Rev. Fr. Dr. Henry Saindi was speaking during a press briefing on Monday 31^st January, 2022 at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe.

“These anniversaries are a moment of thanksgiving to God for the gift of these institutions and persons behind them that helped the Catholic faith come to other Continents and countries including Malawi,” said Saindi.

He said that the Church will commemorate 400 years of the establishment of the Congregation for the Propaganda Fide (Evangelization of Peoples by Pope Gregory XV in 1622); 200 years of the foundation of the Missionary Society for the Propagation of faith by Pauline Marie Jaricot in 1822; 100 years of the establishment of Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) by Pope Pius XI in 1922; 150 years of the birth of Blessed Paulo Manna, born in 1872, founder of the Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU).

He said that through these missionary anniversaries the Church in Malawi has an opportunity to reflect about the past missionary activities that brought the Catholic faith and an opportunity for missionary reflection about the future of the Catholic Church in Malawi in the coming 50, 100 and 500 years. He therefore, encouraged Catholic communities to prepare and celebrate the anniversaries in their ordinary daily activities as faith communities.

According to him the anniversary celebrations have three dimensions namely Prayer: Offering thanksgiving prayers for the growth of the Church in many continents with so many parish Churches, priests or sisters houses, hospitals, schools, seminaries and other houses of formation constructed with the guidance from Propaganda Fide and spiritual and financial support from PMS. Offering prayers for the future of the Church in Malawi and the whole world in the years to come; Historical and missionary reflections on the strategies and activities done in the universal and local Church in the past 400, 200 and 100 years; Missionary awareness and missionary/pastoral plans for the future of the Church in Malawi and beyond for the coming 50, 100 and 500 years.

According to Fr. Vincent Mwakhwa, PMS National Director who was present at the press briefing the National Launch for these preparations will be held in the Diocese of Dedza on the 5^th February 2022 when the Church in Malawi will also celebrate the Day for the Consecrated life and the Pontifical Missionary Union Day.

“Therefore, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi kindly requests all the Archdioceses/Dioceses to launch the preparations for the Anniversaries on 5th February 2022,” said Fr. Mwakhwawa.

He said that the Anniversaries will be coordinated by the Pontifical Mission Societies in collaboration with the Pastoral Offices and all pastoral agents.

The actual celebration for these anniversaries will be on 23rd October 2022, the World Mission Sunday.

Fr. Mwakhwawa said that in the past 400 years the Congregation has registered many important achievements including the Instruction of 1659 where it instructed all the Vicariates Apostolic in China and Indochina to rediscover his mission ad gentes; the Collegium Urbanum in 1627, where Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644) founded a Pontifical College for the formation of candidates for the priesthood from mission countries. He found it necessary to establish a central seminary for the missions where young priests could be educated. Today, candidates from mission countries are chosen, and sent, by their bishops to the Urbanum in Rome for their theological and pastoral formation at the Pontifical Colleges of St. Peter and St. Paul. In Malawi, we have a good number of priests have been at the PUU; the Printing Press – Polyglotta in 1926 established its own printing press called Polyglotta, for the printing of books in different languages of the peoples found in the mission territories; the establishment of new ecclesiastical circumscriptions. In Malawi, the last to be established is in the Diocese of Karonga; the ratification of institutes for the consecrated where the Congregation has approved hundreds of institutes of consecrated life with a missionary specificity or which were founded in missionary jurisdictions. Some of these institutes or congregations have been involved in the evangelisation of Africa like: the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (1703), the Society for African Missions (1856), the Missionaries of Scheut (1862), White Fathers (1868), Combonis (1855), Montfort Missionaries – 1705, the Missionaries of Consolation (1901); Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) was a divine providential response to the challenges the Congregation of Propaganda Fide was facing: ranging from spiritual, financial and personal resources and lack of animation to the people of God on missionary work of the Church. The Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) are charismatic organisations born and founded for the growth of the Mission of God. There are four namely: The Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary society for Holy Childhood and the Pontifical Missionary Union of Priests and Religious. They originated from charismatic initiatives begun by lay people and priests, inspired by the Holy spirit with the intent of supporting the activity of missionaries through prayer and financial resources, animating people of God and directly involving priests, consecrated persons and lay people in prayer, in offering of sacrifice, in promoting vocations, in charitable and concrete activities for mission; and the Centre for Missionary Animation in 1986, where the Congregation constructed the Centre for Missionary Animation, or C.I.A.M beside the Collegium Urbanum. Besides other things, the centre provides renewal programs and courses in spirituality and the spiritual exercises.

Sam Kalimba

CADECOM Area Coordinator for Dowa handing over potato cuttings.

Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe provided relief red sweet potato cuttings (seed) to farmers in around Traditional Authority Chakhaza in Dowa district mid-January, 2022.

According to the Commission’s coordinator Charles Matewere apart from their routine exercise during the period, they responded to a call made by Tama Farmers Trust to assist victims of the dry spell that befell the farmers of Gome Producers and Marketing Cooperative Society.

“We were approached by officials from Tama Farmers Trust after they learnt that we are working in the same area where their victimized members are. We looked at the impact, analyzed it and upon being convinced we asked them to choose between potato seed cuttings and cassava. They opted for potato and hence we brought them 200 bunches of the cuttings enough to plant 5 acres,” said Matewere.

Matewere also acknowledged the Australian Aid through Caritas Australia in the A+ project for their continued support to the activities of the local Church.

A CADECOM field officer Maclay Mtekateka advised the recipients to ensure targeting multiplying the seed before they venture into serious potato farming.

“We urge you to first allow those that were affected to plant the potato in their bare fields and then use the same fields as reserves for next cropping season. At that time, be able to get more cuttings for the rest of the members. In so doing, this area will become a potato zone,” Mtekateka told the recipients.

Chairperson for the cooperative, Tsogolani Kenani thanked both Cadecom and Tama Farmers Trust for coming quickly to their predicament.

“It was so devastating to see our fields most of which belong to women, being bare despite having planted legumes such as beans, soya and groundnuts. We created a video and sent it to Tama to appreciate our problems. Good enough we started linking when they asked us to choose between cassava and potato. We chose potato for it is easy to manage within other farming activities. We are thankful to Tama and Cadecom. We will make sure potato farming becomes our business a long side our usual crops,” said Kenani.

According to Kenani 2021 rain season started on 17 December, 2021 in the area of Traditional Authority Chakhaza in Dowa District.

“Most farmers here planted their crops with hope. Unfortunately, there was no follow up rains until 31st December, 2021. The dry spell was so upsetting to the effect that a total of 10 acres of soya, 5 acres of beans, and 7 acres of groundnuts were affected leaving members with no hope,” Kenani said.

Head of Operations at Tama Farmers Trust, Samuel Kasambala said that his organization was concerned with the situation that Gome Cooperative members found themselves in. He said this made Tama Farmers Trust to appeal for resources that would necessitate the replanting of any drought resistant crop. He thanked CADECOM for the gesture and further requested for continued working relationship.

Ululations, happy songs and jubilation characterised the mood at Mlale Parish as the faith community of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe received a new priest.

Deacon Thomas Msalala of Mlale Parish in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe was ordained priest by His Grace, George Desmond Tambala on 11th December at the Archdiocesan Minor Seminary grounds within the parish.

Fr. Msalala is the only surviver in a class of seven.

“In this journey, I was not alone. We started seven of us. But as you know, this is sometimes an unpredictable process, at times you feel uncertain. But I thank God He has brought me to this far,” said Fr. Msalala.

Addressing the newly ordained, Archbishop Tambala advised him to always stand up for the truth as he will be working to bring the souls to God.

“Your first responsibility is to bring souls to Christ. Remember that life is not always rosy. Now everyone is mentioning your name and everyone knows you. It will reach a time when life will be challenging. At that time remember this special day of your ordination. This day will give you consolation and new energy,” the Archbishop said.

Fr. Thomas Msalala is appointed to serve at St. Andrea Kaggwa Parish in area 49.

Part of the congregation at the ordination ceremony.

The clergy at a procession at the ordination ceremony

The newly ordained (middle) after being ordained

The liturgical dancing girls at the function

The clergy during the Holy Mass for ordination

Archdiocesan clergy with their Local Ordinary, at Msamba Centre

As one way to familiarise himself and indeed to insert himself in the Archdiocese, His Grace George Tambala interacted with the local clergy at Msamba Pastoral Centre. He introduced himself to the clergy. The clergy also introduced themselves to him.

He talked to the clergy and they talked to him. They shared different issues concerning the clergy as well as concerning the Archdiocese including the consolidation of communion and togetherness in the development of the Archdiocese.

HIs Grace making a point

Archbishop Tambala listening to the leader of the clergy

Part of the clergy during the interactive meeting

A group photo at Msamba Pastoral Centre

23 Catechists have been certified as full catechists after completing their three years of training in different courses.

Part of the graduating ceremony

The graduands posing with Archbishop George Tambala

The training started in 2019 and was taking place at Benga parish in Nkhotakota.