Kameme Prayer Centre Triumphs over Titi in Children Quiz Competition
By Lonely Paul Mwandira (Methodology Advisor St Michael’s Parish)
To ensure proper formation into Catholic faith, of Catholic Children, who are preparing for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation, the Sunday School Ministry to Children under Pastoral Commission keeps on organizing quiz in different parishes. This time, Kameme Prayer Centre had a chance to face Titi Prayer Centre. Kameme carried the day with 14 point leaving in arrears Titi with 12 points. Quiz venue was Ipenza Prayer Centre.
In a brief interview with Sunday school instructors, Mr. Petros Mtambo thanked the Pastoral Team of St Michael’s Parish for bringing the quiz competition to Kameme and Titi because such activities motivate the children to work hard in following their catechetical instructions.
The fruits of such efforts are evident in many children since they are able to answer questions from the catechism now. Many Children are able to offer spontaneous prayers in public, better than some adults now.
“There is great motivation for children in the Sunday School Project, sports and provision of Likuni Phala have greatly increased the enrolment of Sunday school children” said Veronica Mtonga Sunday school instructor.
The M&E thanked the organizers and urged them to continue including more remote prayer centers in their quiz programmes for children in the parish.
Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales from India Visit Karonga Diocese
Pastoral Secretariat
A team of Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales (MSFS) from India led by the Provincial Superior of South East India Province, Father Ignaci Muthu are visiting Karonga Diocese to assess the prospects of opening a mission in the Diocese.
The Diocese of Karonga will take them to different parts of the Diocese so that they can appreciate the pastoral situation. The team made a courtesy call to the Bishop of Karonga Diocese, His Lordship Martin Anwel Mtumbuka. Also in attendance were the Vicar General of the Diocese of Karonga, Monsignor Denis Chitete and the Pastoral Secretary, Father Joseph Sikwese.
The visiting team is comprised of the following: Father Ignaci Muthu MSFS – Provincial Superior South East India; Father Kanickai Daniel MSFS – Provincial Counsellor in charge of missions; Father Susairaj Sebastian MSFS – The confrere who is designated to work in Malawi Mission; Father Johnson Kallidukil MSFS (former Provincial of East African Province who initiated contact with Karonga Diocese in 2012).
The Diocese of Karonga has 13 priests who are currently working in the Diocese, three priests are abroad for further studies. The Diocese has 9 parishes serving 67000 Catholic Christians.
Pastoral Commission Holds Review Meeting
By Moses Raymond Kamanga
Two heads are better than one is an old adage but its relevance is ever new. Believing in this adage, the Pastoral Commission of the Diocese of Karonga has brought together all its key players in the Commission to review some of the activities it carries out for better continuity.
Opening the meeting at Viphya Lodges in Chilumba, Father Joseph Sikwese, Head of Pastoral Section and the Bishop’s Secretary, mentioned that the meeting is necessary because it gives a better chance for interfacing, bringing ideas together, sharing challenges and together moving forward as a unit as “two heads are better than one”.
“The meeting is important because it brings all players in the Pastoral Commission together. We have Parish Priests from all the parishes in the Diocese, Chaplains, Catechetical Methodology Advisors and other stakeholders including the diocesan radio (Tuntufye FM Radio)” said Fr Sikwese. Also in attendance is Monsignor Denis Chitete, who is the Vicar General, Chairperson of the Diocesan Pastoral Commission and Administrator of St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral.
The meeting scheduled for two days (27th and 28th of February) is aimed at among others receiving reports from departments under the Pastoral Commission and reviewing the Sunday School Project activities and ironing out challenges for effective pastoral ministry.
In an exclusive interview with the Chairperson of the Pastoral Commission, Monsignor Denis Chitete, stressed that the review meetings of this kind are very beneficial for they help to look back and check where things have gone well to be upheld and those that have posed challenges to be done in a better way.
“In general terms, I would say the Pastoral Commission has been on a good pace and the reports are encouraging. From the time we launched and started using our new catechism, we have made a lot progress,” said Monsignor Chitete.
St Michael’s Parish Takes Moral Lessons to Kameme CDSS YCS
By Lonely Paul Mwandira (Methodology Advisor)
With the funding from Coppel’s Family, through Karonga Diocese, St Michael’s Parish engaged Kameme Community Day Secondary School in a move to shape the future of young girls and boys.
The lessons intensively engaged learners in moral conduct of Catholic students, behaviour change process, personal hygiene and sacramental life in Roman Catholic.
Speaking during the occasion, Father Chinula, the Parish Priest of St Michael’s, stressed on the notion of morality which leads to positive change (metanoia).
“Acceptance, openness to change and courage are the only catalysts to permanent change” said Father Chinula. He further shared with the students that they are living in a world full of temptation and they will not build a better Malawi if they continue embracing worldly things.
The Parish Priest urged the students to put their Christian life and education as priorities in life. He encouraged them to read and abide by the word of God.
Chipalamoto Nyirenda, Chitipa Field Officer of Lusubilo Orphan Care engaged the students on behavior change process. He mentored the learners to have a clear vision of their future and have role models for them to accomplish their educational goals.
“Personal hygiene forms part of Christian life. You need to keep your bodies as healthy as possible. Good personal hygiene coupled with godly life is recipe for good life and achievement of goals.” said Mrs Chilenga from Chitipa District Hospital.
Concurring with Mrs Chilenga, Paul Mwandira challenged the learners to be focused in life and not to be carried away with things that could disturb their future through total abstinence. He urged them to respect their bodies and keep themselves pure. This comes against the background that Kameme CDSS girls far prey to Tanzania men who entice them with prospects of happy marriages across the border, only to be used and refused.
The YCS patron Mr Kalagho thanked St Michael’s Parish for organizing the lessons.
First Eucharistic Celebration at St Teresa of Calcutta Prayer Centre
By Benjamin Msowoya
On Sunday, 18 February 2018, the Parish Priest of St Mary’s, Fr. Joseph Sikwese, presided over the first Eucharistic Celebration at the newly established sub-station of St Teresa of Calcutta in St Mary’s Parish. This was done in order to allow the faithful of St. Teresa Calcutta Community to start using the new Church.
Even though construction work has not yet finished, the lay faithful have started using the Church in order to reduce the distance they to travel to St Mary’s Parish Centre for liturgical celebrations.
On the first day, the church was filled to capacity. Many very elderly men and women who could not walk to St Mary’s Parish openly expressed their joy to have the Church near their houses and asked God to bless the benefactor and the Bishop Martin Mtumbuka who made construction of their Church possible.
The Parish Priest said that he was very encouraged by the good beginning as people had gathered for Mass in large numbers, and urged the community of St. Teresa of Calcutta to continue worshipping together at their new Church and in their small Christian communities. He also urged members of the St. Teresa Local Church Council to work together as a team.
St Teresa of Calcutta Church has been built with financial support from Joe Ellul Mattei, through Missio Malta. Mr. Mattei donated 17200 Euro for the construction of the Church, but due to fluctuation of the Malawi Kwacha which led to the rise in prices of construction materials, construction has not been completed. The work which is yet to be done is: flooring, plastering, painting, fixing of windows and doors. This will cost the Diocese around 6,000 Euro (US$7,000).
First Mass in Pictures
Priests Oriented on Small Christian Communities
By Benjamin Msowoya
On 16th January 2018, the Pastoral Commission oriented priests of the Diocese of Karonga on Small Christian Communities. This is in response to Bishop Martin Mtumbuka’s declaration that the current liturgical year is “Year of My Small Christian Community”. The meeting took place at St Kizito Conference Centre in St Michael’s Parish, Chitipa.
The meeting had two aims, namely: to establish a uniform understanding on Small Christian Communities among all priests for uniform application in their respective parishes and to plan together on the relevant interventions for strengthening Small Christian Communities in the Diocese.
All priests currently resident in the Diocese attended the meeting. The priests had time to discuss and plan the way forward on Small Christian Communities from different perspectives. They discussed and summarized challenges, collected from the lay faithful from all parishes in the Diocese, and their corresponding solutions.
They had time to share on the Historical and Biblical Foundations of Small Christian Communities, the history of Small Christian Communities in the AMECEA region in general and Malawi in particular, the nature of Small Christian Communities and their purpose, and ways of conducting Small Christian Communities meetings.
They were also oriented on the best possible ways of monitoring and evaluating progress of the Diocese’s interventions on SCC.
Finally, they consolidated their discussions into an action plan for the Diocese that includes training the lay faithful and their leaders on Small Christian Communities, choir competitions on the theme “Year of My Small Christian Community” as well as monitoring and evaluation activities on the same.