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Thu
24
Apr 2025
The first round of entrance examinations to Catholic secondary schools administered by the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops MCCB took place across the Diocese earlier this week. This initiative arrangement is a fruit of an agreement made between the Catholic Church and the Malawian Government, where 40% of the students selected to form one in Catholic schools having sat for a series of examinations. The first round of these tests popularly called pre-test examinations was conducted on Monday 21st April 2025 across different parish centres and the successful candidates will proceed to write the final paper where those who do well are selected into different Catholic secondary schools. A snap survey of the exercise revealed that both candidates and administrators of the examinations were content with the manner in which this was done. Candidates expressed optimism that they will make it to the next round. O tis part education coordinator for the Diocese Geoffrey Mdala hoped that more students will have the opportunity to be selected to different secondary schools. Apart from secondary schools like St Lawrence Girls Catholic Secondary School and Phwadzi Sdcondary School, these candidates are selected to different Catholic Community Day Secondary Schools in the Diocese. The best performing students are selected to Stella Maris, Providence, and St Patricks Secondary School in the Archdiocese of Blantyre.
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Thu
24
Apr 2025
The pastoral office for the Diocese of Chikwawa has announced that the Diocese will offer requiem mass for the repose of Pope Francis. The Pontiff died on Easter Monday and is expected to be buried on Saturday 26th April 2025. In view of this, the Diocese has directed that to show solidarity with the whole church and to plead for the salvation of the departed pontiff, all parishes in the Diocese will celebrate requiem mass for the soul of Pope Francis. The main mass will take place at St Michael’s Cathedral in Chikwawa to be led by Bishop Peter Musikuwa. All the masses will start at 4 o’clock in the evening. Consequently, the office of the pastoral Coordinator has announced that the blessing of MCA sisters’ mother house which was scheduled to be done on Saturday 26th April 2025 has been moved to 10th May 2025, with other details of the celebration remaining unchanged. Other announcements made in the statement signed by Fr joseph Gift Chikwapa are; The Epiphany celebrations at St Matthews Nchalo Parish on 27th April 2025 from 9 o’clock in the morning, and also the National Laity Council meeting to be held at Vasco Milinyu Lodge in Chikwawa from the 25th to 27th April 2025.
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Wed
23
Apr 2025
The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) has called on all the Catholic faithful and people of good will to pray for peaceful repose of Pope Francis. In a communication designated as a prayer for the departed pontiff called “Remembering Pope Francis“, the bishops have recalled the uniqueness that marked the papacy of Francis that for many embodied a shift from the more conservative predecessors. Among the many gifts that Pope Francis gave to the Church, the bishops have listed the following: His insistence on the necessity for pastors to be close to the flock of Christ entrusted to their pastoral care. Even as MCCB, this is something we have discussed several times with our close collaborators, namely priests; that we need to do better than we are currently doing. His deep concern for the rampant destruction of the environment. Again, as MCCB, we have written on this in our recent pastoral letters. His repeated warnings against the danger of us pastors, and indeed every person, becoming slaves of material things and taking them as the basis and purpose of our lives. Regarding this matter, he, in fact, reminded us of the lifestyle and teachings of his patron saint, Francis of Assisi. His call for a strong spirit of teamwork in our pastoral services. This is, in fact, something on which our Lord Jesus Christ himself insisted a lot. His relentless call for peace touched the hearts of many people, as there is a tremendous and urgent need for it in many parts of the world. His pastoral zeal for the salvation of souls was impressive and very inspiring. The Bishops however are mindful that like any other person, Pope Francis may have not been perfect. Therefore, the Bishops call on all Catholics and all who love him to plead with our merciful and just judge, Jesus Christ, to judge him mercifully so that this last part of his pilgrimage to our eternal home will be swift and smooth. “And when he is finally in our eternal home, he will pray for us, his brothers and sisters, who are still meandering through this spiritual and moral desert.” Concludes the statement. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday having gone into a comma. Meanwhile the mortal remains of Pope Francis are being taken to St Peters Square where people will pay their last respects. His funeral will be held on Saturday 26th April 2025.
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Tue
22
Apr 2025
The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Vatican time in St. Peter’s Square, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals. Here are some details of the events leading to the funeral: Public Viewing & Mourning Period The Holy Father’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from today, Tuesday, April 22, allowing pilgrims to pay their respects. The Vatican expects millions of mourners. Burial Location Contrary to tradition where most Popes are buried in St. Peter’s grottoes, Pope Francis requested a simple burial in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, a place he often prayed before the icon of Salus Populi Romani. Global Dignitaries Attending Over 100 world leaders are expected; these include: U.S. Vice President JD Vance – leading the American delegation Argentina’s President Javier Milei King Charles III & Prince William French President Emmanuel Macron Brazil’s President Lula da Silva Conclave Timeline The Sistine Chapel conclave to elect a new pope will begin April 28, with 117 cardinals voting.
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Tue
22
Apr 2025
The Holy Father, Pope Francis has passed on at his residence in the Vatican, Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) announces. Through a written communication dated 21st April, Rt Rev Martin Anwel Mtumbuka, president of the Conference, announced the passing of the Holy Father, hours after news broke out on the death of Pope Francis through different main stream media houses both local and international. “It is with heartfelt sorrow that the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB), informs the entire Catholic Church in Malawi of the death of His Holiness Pope Francis, which occurred at 7:35 am today, 21st April, 2025” reads the statement. The Bishops have called on all religious men and women to offer prayers and mass for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed Pontiff. Earlier in the day before the official announcement of the late Pope’s death by the MCCB, the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis through Cardinal Kevin Farrell. “Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican’s TV channel. “At 7:35 (0535 GMT) this morning the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.” He said. Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in the death certificate, which was released by the Vatican that Pope Francis died of a stroke and irreversible cardiovascular arrest. It went on to say that the pope had fallen into a coma before he died. Besides his recent lung infection, Arcangeli said Francis had also suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes. As arrangements for his burial are being made, a Vatican spokesman said the pope’s coffin might be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica as early as Wednesday morning to allow the faithful to pay their respects. No date has yet been given for the funeral, but the Vatican said it would normally be expected to take place sometime between Friday and Sunday. A group of cardinals were due to meet on Tuesday to discuss plans.
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Tue
15
Apr 2025
Priests in the Diocese of Chikwawa gathered at St Michaels Cathedral on Monday 14th April for the Chrism mass. This celebration takes place every year on Holy Monday where in a show of collegiality, priests recommit themselves to their call by expressing their willingness through their priestly vows. Delivering a homily to priests, religious and lay faithful gathered for the function, Bishop Musikuwa echoed the voice of the prophet Isaiah and reminded priests that they are called and set apart for His purpose. “In fulfilment of the prophecy by Isaiah, Christ came on earth to deliver the message that the people expected. Jesus coming answered the question, who will deliver us from all the troubles of this world? Christ knew that his role was to ease and be the comfort of all who were suffering.” Bishop Musikuwa said. And so the priest is called to take up the role that Christ played when he came on earth. A priest has to bring hope among the people. During the mass, holy oils were blessed for different pastoral purposes as care for this, administering baptisms, confirmations and priestly ordination.
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Tue
8
Apr 2025
The Diocesan laity council has, with the blessing of the authorities, resolved to construct a hostel in Chikwawa as a way of generating income for its operations. The announcement is contained in a letter authored by Bishop Peter Musikuwa, in which other pastoral announcements have also been made. According to the letter dated 7th April 2025, the laity council has come to this decision having observed that often the council fails to carry out its duties because of lack of funds since its main source of income are contributions from parishes. “In an effort to ease many of their challenges, the lay leaders from all parishes around the Diocese, have unanimously agreed to embark on a project to construct a hostel to be rented out to student nurses that come to Chikwawa for their practicals.” Reads the statement. It is expected that the construction will cost 25 Million Malawi kwacha with expected returns of 7.5 million kwacha in a year. The letter contains other pastoral announcements such as the Eucharistic congress from 5th to 9th August, the Children’s congress from 30th July to 5th August to be held in Lilongwe. Most notably, the Bishop has announced the ordination of Deacon David Billy July from Kalemba parish to priesthood on 19th July 2025 at St Michaels Cathedral in Chikwawa.
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Mon
7
Apr 2025
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) under the Diocese of Chikwawa, the designated Gender-Based Violence (GBV) service provider for the Shire Valley Transformation Program (SVTP), convened a One Stop Centre (OSC) stakeholders meeting on Friday, 4th April 2025 at Zonse Villa, Chikwawa. The meeting aimed to strengthen coordination among key service providers in responding to GBV cases within the SVTP catchment area. In attendance were key stakeholders from the Chikwawa District Health Office (DHO)—including the Director of Health and Social Services, the District Medical Officer, and other key medical personnel. Also present were representatives from the One Stop Centre (OSC), District Gender Office, Social Welfare Department, Malawi Police Service (Victim Support Unit), and the Judiciary. Speaking during the meeting, Fr.Mathews Semba, Director of the Diocese of Chikwawa’s Social Services Directorate and CCJP Team Leader, emphasized the vital role of the One Stop Centre in the fight against GBV—not only within the SVTP scope but also across the entire district. He highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, stressing that effective partnerships are important to expediting case management and ensuring comprehensive survivor support. The meeting provided a platform to review the progress of GBV-related interventions, welcome new OSC personnel, and share updates on planned activities. Key highlights included a presentation of GBV cases handled jointly by CCJP and OSC, introduction of new initiatives such as community sports tournaments, awareness campaigns via radio and billboards, and planned engagements with bar and lodge owners in GBV hotspot areas.
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Mon
7
Apr 2025
Young catholic boys and girls have been encouraged to spend time and discern their vocations. The call was made on Saturday, 5th April 2025 during the launch of Vocations Sunday by Bishop Musikuwa at Nkhate parish. As he addressed hundreds of young people gathered for the launch, Bishop Musikuwa noted that it is very important for young people to seriously reflect on the kind of calling God has for them. “Take time to reflect and discern your vocations, then prepare by adopting lifestyles and behaviors that sit well with your vocation” Said Bishop Musikuwa. The National Pontifical Mission Society (PMS) announced that different dioceses must launch this years vocation Sunday as a way of preparing for the actual celebration. The launch mainly involved youths from Nkhate parish and will be joined by their counterparts from all parishes in the Diocese during the actual event which will be held at the same parish on 11th May 2025.
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