Diocese of Chikwawa

Bishop Peter Musikuwa of the Diocese of Chikwawa, has urged members of the I am Catholic and I am Proud grouping to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic faith and then teach and practice others. The Bishop made the statement during the Eucharistic celebration, marking the official beginning of a three day National Annual General Meeting for the lay group. During the celebration, the Bishop acknowledged the duty that members of the group have to help in spreading the Catholic faith. However, he said, this is only possible if members know and practice what they know about the faith. “Let us all be like the first community of believers; they attracted many to the new religion by their lives” He said. In his remarks, National Chairperson for Proud Catholics pleaded with the Bishop to appoint a priest to be chaplain for the group in the Diocese. The meeting will end tomorrow Sunday after a day’s deliberation, among the issues, the discussion on their national constitution.

A dark cloud has fallen. Fr Francis Damaseke has passed on to be with the Father. The Archdiocese of Lilongwe has announced the untimely death of one of her priests, Fr Francis Damaseke. Fr Damaseke succumbed to respiratory complications early today, Fr Patrick Thawale announced. The news has come as shock and a blow not only to the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, but the whole Catholic community in Malawi and many Malawians in general. According to inside information and confirmed by the archdiocese, Fr Damaseke had been hospitalized for some weeks after he had respiratory difficulties. Fr Damaseke is widely known for his critical role in social media evangelization after the Covid 19 pandemic. Through the Tiyankhuleni Ambuye project and grouping, he defied the barriers of social contact during the pandemic to continue evangelization of the peoples through whatsapp and facebook platforms. Born on 27th September 1986, Fr Damaseke was ordained a priest on 9th July 2016. He has served at Mlare, Chilinde, St Patricks parishes. He also served as Nation Social Research and Communications Coordinator under the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops. At the time of his passing, Fr Damaseke was serving at Nathenje parish as curate. Burial arrangements for late Fr Francis Damaseke will be announced in due course. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

The Catholic lay movement, I am Catholic and Am Proud, will hold its 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the year 2026 in the Diocese of Chikwawa, where among others, leaders from all the Dioceses and sub committees of the grouping will undergo leadership training. In her words, Chrissy Katunga Chidothi the National Secretary for the group, the meeting will run from 10thth to 12th April 2026. The meeting will take place at Chikwawa Teachers Training College. This year’s theme is “Never flag in zeal, keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord”, inspired by Romans 12:11. This meeting is expected to be attended by over a hundred delegates, from different Dioceses and sub committees. Among the activities to be done are leadership training, constitutional review and reports from Dioceses and Chapters. The meeting will begin with Eucharistic celebration to be presided over by Bishop Peter Musikuwa, on 11th April 2026. Speaking on the eve of the meeting, James Chonde, who is the Diocesan Chairperson, has called on many Catholics to join the group especially in the Diocese of Chikwawa, thereby helping in the mission of the Church by spreading love and charity among us. He has however lamented the lack of a chaplain for the grouping in the Diocese who can guide them in their spiritual life. The grouping also called Proud Catholics is established in all the Dioceses in Malawi except Karonga. In Chikwawa, the group is in two chapters, Chikwawa and Nsanje which share the 14 parishes of the Diocese. I am Catholic and Am Proud encourages Catholics to take pride and defend their faith. Its main cornerstone is Love among Christians.