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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.
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Sat
11
Apr 2026
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.
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Sat
11
Apr 2026
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.
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Fri
20
Mar 2026
Hundreds of families in Nchalo, in the Lundu area, have now spent their second night on the M1 road as floodwaters fill their homes, rendering them uninhabitable. This follows days of heavy downpour of rain in the lower Shire Valley districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa. The situation is worsened by the large volumes of water the area is receiving from the Shire and Mwanza rivers as the rains continue to pour in the uplands where these two big rivers flow from. According to the status report from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs as of 19th March 2026, a total of 1565 households have been affected, with three deaths and two injuries. This follows heavy rain the area has received from the 15th to 18th March 2026. All the TAs in Chikwawa have been affected. The number affected is but a fraction of the country’s total of 9,598. DoDMA has since begun distribution of relief items, with a full-scale response to follow once the situation eases. As of today, the M1 road between Bereu and Nchalo in Chikwawa is completely cut off, rendering mobility impossible. The Diocese of Chikwawa, through its Development desk(CADECOM) in the Social Services Directorate, has already begun interfacing with different donor partners and organizations with an aim to raise funds for relief activities. Meanwhile, the weather conditions in the region give hope as for the first time in four days, there is sunshine. This will offer comfort as water levels are set to go down, offering relief for these victims to return home.
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Tue
17
Mar 2026
People in the Traditional Authorities of Chiputula and Makhuwira are destitute following a heavy storm that hit their area. According to a report by Fr Samson Kayuni, who is the parish priest for Nkhate parish under whose jurisdiction these areas fall, the most affected villages are Dwanya in Chiputulas area and Mphali in Makhuwiras area. According to this report, the damage caused by this catastrophe is of varying degrees. For example, in Mphali village, one person is reportedly to have lost their life, with many having sustained serious injuries due to the effect of the storm. The report shows that Rabecca Mlonya, a girl who is a Standard 8 learner at Phimbi Primary School, got her leg fractured and was treated at Chikwawa District Hospital. In Dwanya, on the other hand, a household is reported to be finding shelter in a chicken kraal. This only shows how desperate the situation and the plight of these people are. The strong wind that hit the area is said to have been of great magnitude, such that big trees have been brought down and houses demolished. In Mphali, elderly people who had just benefited from a recently completed programme of building their houses are homeless again after the storm. Another family in the same village can not believe that after making savings for five years to build a house, that house is now brought to the ground, the roof blown off, and they are living in a kitchen that has survived the damage. These narratives only show a tip of the damage as narrated by Fr Kayuni, who reckons he failed to complete the assessment because of fatigue, since many households have been left without shelter. Fr Kayuni has since made a call to well-wishers to help in alleviating the pain and loss of the people by coming in to help with basic materials for shelter, foodstuffs, and other amenities. The Diocesan Social Services Directorate, through the Catholic Development Commission, from time to time provides interventions where the livelihood and dignity of persons are compromised.
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