St Martin (Fulirwa) Christians Have a New Prayer House
By Benedict Kauteka
Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka of the Diocese of Karonga has commended the efforts made, by the faithful of St Martin’s (Fulirwa) Catholic Church under St Anne’s Parish, towards the construction of a magnificent, strong and long lasting church building.
The Bishop expressed his word of gratitude when he consecrated and officially opened a newly constructed church building on 28th July, 2019. The Bishop’s visit was in itself a source of joy for the Christians and a source of encouragement and strength.
In his homily, the Bishop admonished the faithful to desist from polygamous unions as they contradict the teaching of Christ, our Saviour, on marriage which is the life time union of one woman and one man.
The Bishop further advised the Catholic faithful of this area to refrain from the tendency of accusing the elderly of practicing witchcraft as such accusations are merely based on ignorance, poverty and jealousy.
He went on to say that such accusations are done mainly in Africa, particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa, where most people are living in abject poverty and ignorance.
Reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer, the Bishop said Jesus did not only give us the words for us to use, but also taught us how to pray.
The Bishop then expounded the five themes contained in the Lord’s Prayer, which are; relating to God in an intimate way as Our Father; praying for the will of God to be done always; praying for our needs as represented by “our daily bread”; asking for forgiveness of our sins and finally asking God to deliver us from evil.
The construction of a new church at Fulirwa Sub Station was a response of the Christians to the call the Bishop made in 2012 when he visited them. He advised the faithful to build a better prayer centre as the old one did not suit to be called a Catholic Church.
Following this call, the faithful started mobilizing resources to embark of the construction project. The actual work began in 2014 with moulding of bricks. It has taken five years to complete the building.
According to the chairperson of the Local Pastoral Council, the faithful built the new church mainly with contributions from their own pockets.
The statistics indicate that there are more than two hundred (200) Christians with close to eighty (80) junior Sunday school children at this prayer center. St Anne’s Parish, currently under the leadership of Father Cosmas Mwanjabala as Parish Priest, has fifty prayer centres in total.
“Put God First,” Women Urged
By Wyness Kibogoyo
Bishop Anwel Mtumbuka on Friday urged Wamana Wa Chitemwano (Women of Charity) to put God first in everything they do.
Mtumbuka proclaimed this, on Friday, during the celebration of Holy Eucharist marking the official opening of the lay movement’s annual retreat at Kaseye Shrine in chitipa district.
In his homily, the Bishop said Christians especially women in the Church detach themselves from God due to the challenges they face, but when they come together it helps them build their faith and pray to God to help them.
He added that the retreat is so special since it was organized for them to come together and focus on Jesus Christ in prayers.
He further expressed his gratitude to those women who turned up for the retreat and urged them to put God first in everything they do as Christians.
“I am very grateful today seeing all of you gathered here to share the word of God. We are not here only to receive blessings of God but also to share the word with others, preach the word to others for them to be saved and have the eternal life,” he said.
The Bishop further encouraged Wamama wa Chitemwano to embrace the spirit of charity, sharing and taking care of one another. He also urged them to respect one another and their leaders.
He expressed hope that the retreat would mould them to be better mothers in their families, Church, and the entire diocese.
Above all, the women were encouraged to pray together with their families and Church, preach and share the word and abide by the word of God, the three things would help them grow spiritually.
In his remarks, the Chaplain for Lay Movements in Karonga Diocese, Father Laurent Dziko said he is encouraged to see the women gathered in their large numbers.
“I am very encouraged to see the multitude who are flocking to these retreats. The theme for the retreat reflects the meaning of Women of Charity and what the women in the organization ought to be doing,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the women at the retreat, Ellena Mhango from St Mary’s Parish in Karonga said she was very happy to be at the retreat because the place is taken as a holy place where all their problems will be solved after prayers.
“I am very happy, as human beings we face many problems and go through different challenges, but our coming here will mean a lot to us. Our problems will be solved because will have enough time chatting and adoring God,” she said.
The month of August is a special month for the lay movements in the Diocese of Karonga as it is dedicated to retreats. Other retreats lined up this month are those for Legionaries of Mary, Franciscan Third Order, and Lay 1.
This retreat has attracted over 580 women from all parishes in the Diocese and it is being done under the theme “A Missionary to all through my Lay movement”.
Justice and Peace Commended for Male Champion Approach to End VAWG
By Vincent Bwinga (Justice and Peace)
Group Village Headman Mlongoti under Traditional Authority Mwilang’ombe in Karonga District has appraised the approach taken by the Justice and Peace Desk, under HeForShe Project, as the best since it engages perpetrators of violence against women and children in championing elimination of the same.
Speaking during community awareness meeting at Vuwa in SGVH Kaswela in July 2019, Mlongoti said men, especially fishermen, are the top agents of early marriages in the area taking advantage of the financial status of families in the area.
“Many girls are enticed by money and this is the main reason we have high number of girls dropping out of school to get marries. And they easily fall prey to fishermen who go for them the moment they get money.”
“It is very good that the project encourages men and boys to champion the promotion of women’s and girls’ rights. At the moment, boys are able to defend their sisters, unlike in the past when they never wanted equal treatment between them and their sisters. Male championing is helping men realize their responsibility in ending violence against women and children,” said Mlongoti.
Commenting during the awareness meeting, SGVH Kaswela advised parents to give equal opportunities to boys and girls.
SGVH Kaswela also said pledged the commitment of traditional leaders to rescue girls from marriages.
Experience has shown that parents and guardians usually do not support girls rescued from marriages forcing them to go back or contract another marriage union.
HeForShe project has created a strong working relationship among HeForShe school clubs, community groups, mother groups, chiefs, teachers and the male champion groups which has increased community responsiveness and monitoring of cases of violence and early marriages of girls in schools.
The project has also helped unveil cases of abuse at family and community levels and it has also helped to identify root causes of some cases of abuse more especially those leading to early marriages.
The project is being implemented in Karonga District with financial support from UN Women through ECM.
Karonga Diocese Seminarians Work at Chipunga Farm
By Erick Nyondo (Seminarian)
To cultivate, nurture and enhance a spirit of hard work, since 2015, Karonga Diocese Seminarians have had a specified period of two weeks each year to work in the farms of the diocese before going to parishes for Pastoral experience. The sole purpose for this paramount initiative as introduced by Bishop Martin A. Mtumbuka has been to live out the vision of establishing the local Church (Karonga Diocese) as a self-reliant Diocese.
From 4 to 20 July, 2019, all the seminarians of the Diocese of Karonga went to Chipunga Farm in Nkhatabay to work in the coffee and macadamia fields. The group which comprised of seminarians and deacons worked dedicatedly on the farm for two weeks. Their presence and different experiences encountered there ushered in a number of advantages to the lives of these young men and their vocation in particular as future priests.
Firstly, the presence of all seminarians at Chipunga served as a uniting factor strengthening their sense of brotherhood. Since these seminarians learn in different seminaries Kachebere (Mchinji), St Peter’s (Zomba), Peramiho (Tanzania) and Sedes Sapientiae (Italy), the meeting at Chipunga helped strengthen the bond of friendship. They were always together, united in the mission and fixed on the single vision; sharing their seminary experiences. Their communal life was also fostered through the communal celebration of Mass and sharing of meals.
Secondly, the work which these seminarians did on the farm helped them to appreciate the inestimable value of self-reliance, sense of responsibility and resourcefulness. The marks of today’s evangelisation carry with them the spirit of responsibility, self-reliance and industriousness. The work at Chipunga enabled the seminarians have the chance to begin thinking over their mission and the material demands with which their mission is conjoined. They have also been challenged to adopt the attitude of thinking creatively and thinking only possibilities that can elevate their lives, the Church and society at large from laziness, stagnation and unproductivity.
Thirdly, the initiative of farming has also given the seminarians the opportunity to develop zeal for work and hardworking spirit. The very fact that these seminarians belong to the diocese that thinks and dreams big, that works and emphasises on work, they themselves have been to some extent challenged to improve their lives through hard work in order to experience the pride of earner-ship and ownership while proliferating their personal potentials and capabilities for survival through manual work.
Lastly, from the whole vision, work and the industrious elements of the diocese as represented by Chipunga Farm. The seminarians have enjoyed the power of connectedness in maintaining the welfare of the church.
The hope is that in each seminarian, the seeds of being resourceful, industrious and self-reliant have begun to germinate and take root. They will in any case live out the missionary spirit that their diocesan motto proclaims, “We shall go to them”.
Children Call for More Protection and Support in their Education
By Vincent Bwinga (Justice and Peace)
Children in Karonga District, belonging to HeForShe Clubs During an open day of HeForShe School clubs coordinated by Justice and Peace Desk of Karonga Diocese, HeForShe school clubs asked for more protection from parents, chiefs and teachers.
Speaking on behalf of all HeForShe School clubs from Kangindwa, Kakolya and Kasoba primary schools, 12 year old Wongani Mshali girl from Kangindwa Primary School appealed to parents and chiefs to be in the forefront to make sure that children, more especially girls, in primary school are fully protected and supported. She cited an example that some parents continue to prefer sending their boy child to school and making it hard for girls to have the same access. This, she said, encourages early marriages among girls.
Wongani Mshali applauded HeForShe project that is being implemented by Justice and Peace Desk of Karonga Diocese in Karonga District for creating school clubs in the 3 school. She said that, the school clubs have helped girls to be part of boys and that has made boys to be championing elimination of violence against girls in schools where the project is implemented.
“The project is changing our brothers’ negative attitude towards us. Our brothers are defending us at home whenever parents want to favor them and we are treated equally at school,” she said.
She further appealed to Justice and Peace to create HeForShe school clubs in other schools, so that other girls can benefit as well.
In his address, Nelson Mwakisulu, who represented all Traditional Authorities in Karonga District, pledged more commitment in protecting and supporting girls in Karonga District to be educated.
He appealed to parents and teachers to make sure that all cases regarding early marriages should be reported to police and also asked parents to be treating their children equally.
The event was spiced up by drama, songs, dialogue and poems done by pupils from the 3 schools and it was attended by community members from Traditional Authority Kyungu, Kilupula and Mwakaboko. HeforShe Project is being implemented by Justice and Peace of Desk of Karonga Diocese in collaboration with chiefs in Karonga District with funding from UN Women through Episcopal Conference of Malawi with an aim of eliminating violence against women and girls.
Kalenge YCS Members Urged to Lead Exemplary Life
By Brian Kachitete
Father Lorent Dziko of St John Paul II has urged YCS Members of Kalenge CDSS to be exemplary and lead a purpose driven life is they have to achieve great things.
Father Laurent Dziko, made this call when he presided over farewell ceremony at Kalenge CDSS which falls under his parish.
In his reflection, which was based on the parable of the Good Samaritan, Father Dziko said YCS members should always see what is happening around them, judge and act accordingly like the Good Samaritan who acted, upon seeing a man who was left half dead by the robbers. He stressed that YCS members should not just sit and watch when things are not going on well.
Father Dziko encouraged the students to work had and be focused in their studied. He urged them to set right goals and work towards achieving them rather than drifting aimlessly.
“Life without goals is useless, so you must set goals,” said Father Dziko.
The farewell ceremony was aimed at bidding farewell to Form Four Students who are leaving the school at the end of their Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations. For the continuing students, it was also meant to wish each other well as they go on long holiday.
“We thought of coming together today to say bye to our friends who have written their final examinations and are heading for other endeavors. We want to thank them for the time we spent together at this school. We also want to wish them well as they move to another step of their academic life,” said Davie Kayini YCS Chairperson.