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CATHOLIC CHURCH TO CELEBRATE 6TH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
By: Grace Kapatuka, Association of Catholic Journalists (ACJ)
The Catholic Church in the country will on November 13, 2022 join the rest of the catholic faithful in the world in celebrating the World Day of the Poor with a national celebration taking place in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.
In a press statement released on October 28, 2022 signed by the Archdiocese of Lilongwe Pastoral Coordinator Fr. James Mkwezalamba, the function will take place at Saint William (Mpale) outstation which is under St Francis parish in Kanengo.
The statement said the letter from the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) released on October 26, 2022, remind the priests, sisters, seminarians, the laity and people of good will that Pope Francis on 20th November 2016, in his Apostolic letter, Misericordia Et Misera (Mercy with misery) established the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time which is also the last Sunday before the Feast of Christ the King as the World Day for the Poor.
“We therefore appeal to all the parishes, lay groups and people of good will to have the representation on the day at the main function in solidarity with the Archdiocese and the entire Catholic Church and take part in the care for the poor by considering making various little contributions to support the activities of the day,” reads the statement.
Through the statement, Fr Mkwezalamba asked the laity and well- wishers to donate food items, clothes, laundry and sanitary items and other non-consumable items that can be donated to the poor on the day.
He said the day will start with a Eucharistic celebration that will be presided over by His Grace Most Reverend George Desmond Tambala, Archbishop of Lilongwe, followed by interaction and distribution of various items as a symbolic expression of works of charity to 150 needy people from Yepa, Tekateka and Chimpumbulu villages in Lilongwe.
He said the church will from the week exceeding November 13, 2022 engage itself in various sensitization activities and charity work to the poor arranged by all parishes, communities and catholic lay groups in the Archdiocese.
“We expect all parishes, churches, the laity and people of good will from across the country to continue taking care of all humanity especially those in the most vulnerable conditions of life,” he said.
This year, the day will be commemorated under the theme “For your sake Christ became poor.”
The World Day of the Poor is a Roman Catholic observance celebrated on 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time since 2017. The day was established by Pope Francis.