Christians at St. Phillip the Apostle Parish in Area 44, under the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, have been urged to unite and contribute towards the construction of a priest’s house at the parish.
Speaking today, Thursday 13th November 2025, during the groundbreaking ceremony of the project, Dean of Mtima Woyera Deanery, Father Augustine Katundu, who represented Archbishop George Desmond Tambala, commended the parishioners for initiating such an important development.
Fr. Katundu emphasized that having priests reside at the parish is vital for effective pastoral work.
He noted that the archdiocese is pleased with the progress at St. Phillip the Apostle Parish, saying it reflects the parish’s strong vision for growth despite being newly established.
“In unity, there is strength, and this is about resource mobilization. The Christians here have the duty to fulfill their obligation by contributing and taking part in this project so that it can be accomplished,” he said.
Chairperson of the Parish Development Committee, Henry Mumba, expressed confidence that the project will be completed, citing the commitment and generosity already shown by parishioners.
He explained that building a priest’s house will save the parish significant costs currently spent on renting accommodation for priests.
“As the development committee, together with parishioners, we will strive to ensure this project is completed so that our priests can live within the parish itself,” Mumba said.
Innocent Chikoti of Wassie Construction company, which will construct the house, assured parishioners that the work will be carried out professionally and be completed within the agreed timeframe.
The construction project for the house is estimated at 260 million kwacha and is expected to be completed within seven months.
St. Phillip the Apostle Parish was officially opened on 9 July 2022 and currently comprises six outstations.
By Titus Jata Phiri