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By Eric Norman Mkwaira

The Catholic church in Malawi celebrated the National Vocations Sunday at Our Lady of Victory – Madisi Parish in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe on 30th April 2023 with a Eucharistic Mass which was presided over by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, His Grace George Desmond Tambala.

His Grace George Tambala has asked the youths to refrain from the activities which other people are doing with the purpose of demolishing their intended vocations.

His Grace also warned the youth to be careful with online actions including crimes which can be made on social media as many social apps do not control what to watch and what to upload. He emphasized on taking all precautionary measures as there are foreign agents including those people who give bad tutorials on how to do something by giving example of those people who put videos of how to shoot somebody or how to rob a bank. He said this can destroy the youth in the church thereby minimizing the prospects to vocations.

“For us in Malawi, we have now the coming in of ideas, ways of thinking that are very foreign to us as Africans and also as Christians. Their ideas and ways of life are aimed at enticing the youth to the wayward life,” he said.

He has however asked the youth to decide to join religious life now as there are less people in the parishes compared to the clergy. The Catholic Vocations are categorized into four different callings: married life, priesthood and religious life and the single life.

“We have also a challenge today, that people take time to decide and maybe they never decide at all. As a human being, that’s not good at all. A Christian has to be a person who takes a decision. That’s what I wanted to say that we need their word now, their decision now, not tomorrow,” he expressed.

             

On families, the Archbishop said that there’s a need for the good families in the church. Good families will give good candidates to priesthood, sisterhood and brotherhood.

The Eucharistic Celebration of the Mass was co-celebrated by the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe the Very Reverend Father Vincent Mwakhwawa, Pastoral Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe Father James Mkwezalamba, the Parish priest of Madisi Parish Father Kelvin Khodola and other priests.

 

The Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi (PMS) says it is ready to share information about vocations to all the youths in the country in order to help them all decide which vocation to take accordingly.

PMS Director in Malawi the Very Reverend Father Vincent Mwakhwawa said the target will help the youths to also share the information within themselves as they will not be shy with elder people.

“We have to accept that priests and sisters and brothers cannot reach every other corner of the country because of time, resources and also the vastness of the Dioceses. Through the young people we want to reach out to many young people so that they can share information,” he said.

 

In his remarks, the chairperson for the youth from the Archdiocese of Lilongwe Chisomo Nkhoma said as the youth they are ready to go and teach their fellows in order to help them understand their vocations.

Vocations Sunday in the Catholic Church takes place every year on the last Sunday of the month of April.