Catholic Women Association (CWA) leaders in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe have been urged to put the knowledge they have acquired into practice for the benefit of the Church and their associations.
The call has been made by the Lilongwe Archdiocesan Pastoral Coordinator, Fr. Francis Lekaleka, following the completion of the leadership training for the CWA executive in all deaneries across the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.
The Pastoral department has been conducting the trainings covering a wide range of topics including Liturgy, Mission, History of the Church, Ecclesiology, Child and Vulnerable Adults Protection and Safeguarding, Moral Principles, CWA Spirituality, Leadership and Financial Management.
Speaking after completing the trainings in Dowa Deanery at Mtengowanthenga Parish, Fr Lekaleka said together with his team, they will start follow-up visits to assess whether the women are implementing what they have been learning.
“We have marked the end of these teachings for women in the Archdiocese, but this also marks the beginning of the project because we will now be visiting their parishes to see whether they are implementing what they have been taught,” said Fr. Lekaleka.
In his remarks, Fr. Frank Lazaro Phiri, one of the facilitators and the then Pastoral Coordinator, expressed satisfaction with the women’s turnout and active participation, saying this indicates that the project is likely to achieve its objectives.
“Although the turnout varied across the deaneries, with some having more women than others, their participation in all the sessions gives us confidence that the project will bear good fruit,” said Fr. Phiri.
He added that imparting knowledge about the history of the Church will help women deepen their understanding of their faith and enable them to share authentic teachings with others.
“We understand that only a few people know about the history of the Church. We therefore found it important to equip the women with this knowledge so that when they go out preaching and sharing their faith with others, their messages will be authentic,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dowa Deanery CWA Chairperson Zeresi Kasiya said the training has equipped her with valuable knowledge that will benefit her both personally and in her leadership role.
“I have personally benefited a lot from what I have learnt, and I believe I will be a changed person going forward. In terms of finances, I hope the training will help me understand certain issues better, as well as my responsibilities as a chairperson,” said Mrs. Kasiya.
By Tiyamike Paul Chisale