Diocese of Chikwawa

Deepening our faith in the Holy Eucharist begins with a simple, profound invitation from Jesus Christ: to cast out into the deep for a miraculous catch. This divine call challenges us to move past the shallow waters of routine religion and plunge into a profound relationship with the Lord. These are the words with which Fr Elizeo Nthalika opened his session during the Eucharistic congress on Thursday 3rd September, 2026. Ultimately, what we do when we kneel before the Blessed Sacrament speaks volumes about what we truly believe. Our posture, our silence, and our devotion reveal whether we recognize a living person or merely a ritual symbol. The true origin of the Eucharist is rooted deeply in God’s eternal desire to dwell among His people. From the very beginning in the Book of Genesis, God created humanity in His own image and likeness, granting us dominion over the earth. However, our ongoing historical failure to carry out God’s mission stems directly from our inability to consistently reflect His image. To bridge this gap, God repeatedly made covenants with His people, pursuing a binding relationship of love. Yet, time and again, humanity showed a stubborn reluctance to enter into that closeness—a hesitation that God frequently rebuked through the prophets. In the fullness of time, Jesus came to transform this distance into ultimate intimacy. He does not desire a cold, legalistic attachment; He wants our relationship with Him to be intensely close. As Jesus beautifully reminds us in the Gospels: “Remain in me, as I remain in you.” This is the vivid mystery explained by the parable of the vine and its branches. Through the new and everlasting covenant, God’s laws are no longer engraved coldly on stone tablets, but are instead written directly onto our hearts. Through the mystery of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus quite literally dwells within us, sustaining our souls just as the vine gives life to its branches. Furthermore, the foundation of the Eucharist shows that God perfectly understood the vital importance of the human body. Our salvation was not achieved through an abstract concept, but through physical, human flesh. The body represents absolute availability and vulnerability. By taking on a physical body, God made Himself tangibly present among us, making our salvation visible and real. To truly deepen our faith, we must actively strengthen this relationship with Jesus by changing how we see the Blessed Sacrament. We need to view the Eucharist through a human lens, recognizing that Christ identifies completely with our neighbor. What you do to the least of your brothers, you do directly to Christ. Therefore, all the dynamics of healthy human relationships—attention, communication, and fidelity—must also apply to our relationship with Christ. True Christian life is fundamentally about this relationship, rather than an isolated, checklist pursuit of holiness. As the truth of the Gospel reveals: “There is no holiness of life without a relationship with Christ.” When we finally grasp this reality, our hearts are naturally led to adoration. True adoration springs from a deep, untold love. We adore Jesus because we suddenly realize His immense holiness and humbly acknowledge our own smallness in His presence. As we look toward the Eucharistic Congress, this gathering must serve as a powerful catalyst to help us adore Christ more deeply. For this renewal to happen, our priests must be the very first to lead by example, showing a profound reverence at the altar. Alongside their witness, the Church must prioritize rich catechesis about the Eucharist and encourage the continuous sharing of Bible verses to ignite a scriptural fire in the hearts of the faithful.    

The Diocesan Pastoral Office has officially invited the clergy, religious, and lay faithful to participate in the upcoming Diocesan Eucharistic Congress. According to a communication from the Diocesan Pastoral Coordinator, the major spiritual gathering will take place from September 3rd to September 5th at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Chikwawa. This local initiative serves to extend and localize the spiritual fruits of the National Eucharistic Congress, which was celebrated last year in Lilongwe. The event brings the spirit of that national milestone directly to the local faithful, offering a dedicated space for communal renewal. Father Samson Kayuni, the Diocesan Pastoral Coordinator, described the Eucharistic Congress as a rare and profound opportunity for the local Church. He emphasized that the gathering allows the community to come together to learn, pray, worship, and share testimonies centered around the Holy Eucharist, which remains the source and summit of the Catholic Christian life. The educational and spiritual sessions will focus heavily on deepening the sacramental life of the believers. Among the core topics scheduled for discussion are dedicated sessions exploring the relationship between the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance, emphasizing Confession as a necessary prerequisite for worthily receiving Holy Communion. A rich itinerary of spiritual activities has been planned across the three days to facilitate deep devotion. The congress will open with a solemn introductory Mass on the first day, followed by a public Eucharistic procession, communal adoration, and ample time for individual confessions. The three-day celebration will draw to a close on September 5th with a grand concluding Mass. Right Reverend Bishop Peter Musikuwa will preside over this final liturgy, sealing the event with the commissioning and patriarchal blessing for the entire Diocese.  

Bishop Peter Musikuwa has exhorted Christians of the newly established Chinthebe parish to a life of holiness, now that God has found His dwelling among them with the establishment of the new parish. The Bishop made the remarks today during Eucharistic celebration marking the establishment of St Joseph Chinthebe as a new parish in the Diocese. In his own words, just as King Solomon questioned why he should build a temple for the Lord who is all Holy, Bishop Musikuwa said the faithful in Chinthebe might be asking the same question, that, could God really be found among them? Could Chinthebe really be a parish? He therefore called on all Christian to take this a privilege since through this parish, many people will receive God’s blessings. “Just as scripture says, true worship is in spirit and truth, you must pray and live the Christian life in truth and spirit. Therefore, you are all called to live holy lives since it is the very purpose that God lives among us to sanctify us” Said the Bishop. Chinthebe was erected parish on 1st August 2026 at St Micheal’s cathedral in Chikwawa. The official opening of the parish today means that with full canonical rights, the new parish will enjoy all the privileges of a parish. During the Eucharistic celebration, Fr Yohane Nzondola who was appointed parish priest, has been enthroned on his seat as parish priest. Speaking at the end of the ceremony, Mr. Chirwa, chairperson of the new parish, reminded all the faithful of the new parish that after the long journey of longing and waiting, now comes the real task of running and supporting the new parish. He called for a change in the way they offer their wealth and tithes because without this change, we might not manage to sustain it. Chinthebe parish becomes the 15th parish in the Diocese and will belong to the Deanery of Molere.