Diocese of Chikwawa

The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) has announced the celebration of the Quasquicentennial celebration of the permanent establishment of the Catholic Church in Malawi. The announcement has been made through a communication made by Rt Rev Martin Mtumbuka, Chairperson for the conference. Termed as a historical celebration, under the theme, Rooted in Christ, sent for a mission: celebrating 125 years of evangelization in Malawi, this will a momentous occasion to recall the early missions who came to Malawi bringing the Good News of salvation. The celebration will be held on 19th September, 2026 at St Mary’s (Nzama) parish, the first catholic parish in Malawi. “We are honored that Most Reverend Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization, will preside over the celebration as special delegate of the Holy See. His presence will signify our communion with the Universal Church, and with His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, the successor of Peter.” reads the statement. The celebration  has been hailed as an opportune time to  remember the sacrifices of the early missions, the Church’s commitment to evangelization through education, healthcare and social development , contributing to spiritual, human and social development of the society. Nzama parish is the first parish to be established in Malawi after earlier futile efforts of the preceding missionaries.

As they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Wanting to be the nucleus from which the DNA and the whole being of the Divine Mercy Apostolate in the Diocese, a group formally known as the Daily Rosary Prayer group, rebranded in recent years, now seeks to gain recognition and spread throughout the Diocese. The intentions were made during an interface meeting when the group from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Molere parish, led by Fr Matthews Kamiza, met His Lordship Bishop Peter Musikuwa at his residence. The meeting took place on Wednesday, 15th April 2026. In his words, Fr Kamiza, stated that the purpose of the visit was to inform the Bishop of the existence of this group, and their intentions that it should grow and become a Diocesan grouping. “We started as a group dedicated to prayer the rosary at Molere church. Later, after my arrival in the parish and having seen what they did, I recommended that they become Divine Mercy apostolate” Recounted Fr Kamiza. The group began from a small group of Christians in Molere who joined in prayer to prayer for different needs. They usually prayed the rosary and sought the intercession of the Blessed virgin Mary. Catherine Dominiko Kapusa is one of the first members of the group. She recalls that they first grouped as Christians devoted to praying the rosary called Daily Rosary group. ” We used to meet once in a month, often having overnight rosary recitation, and other prayers. We also had Eucharistic adoration.” she recalls. Catechist Enoch Galeta, a member of the group, can only sing good of the Divine Mercy Apostolate. He cites a number of good things that the members have received from God’s mercy. This is a testimony of the benefits of the apostolate and now they want to share all that with all the faithful in the Diocese. Once given full recognition, the apostolate will be established as a Diocesan lay apostolate and the pioneer members will be sent on a mission to spread it to all the parishes in the Diocese.

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.