Category: Radio Alinafe

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

On 31st October 2025, the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe officially concluded the Mission Month celebrations held at St Bernadette Parish in Chitula.

The Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese, His Lordship Bishop Mwakhwawa, commended the parishioners for their unity and dedication throughout the various activities that marked the Mission Month.

Bishop Mwakhwawa encouraged them to apply the lessons learned by spreading the Word of God across all Small Christian Communities and by committing themselves to the service and supporting the Church.

“My observation through the celebrations and the visits is that the 2025 Mission Month celebration has been excellent,” said Bishop Mwakhwawa.

His Lordship also praised the collaboration between the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) office and the Archdiocesan Mission Team for their efforts in animating Christians throughout Chitula Parish during the Mission Month.

Father Geoffrey Chikapa, Director of PMS in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, expressed satisfaction with how the Mission Month unfolded, highlighting the enthusiasm and commitment shown by many Christians during the period.

Father Chikapa further announced that PMS has scheduled follow-up visits to Chitula Parish as part of its ongoing monitoring efforts.

“As PMS, we will return to Chitula Parish to assess whether the teachings are being implemented and to engage with Tilitonse animators and other associations such as CWA and other Church organizations,” he said.

Parish Chairperson Mr. Damiano Matchona noted that parishioners have greatly benefited from this year’s Mission Month and expressed hope for significant growth in their spiritual lives and commitment to the Church.

Mission Month is observed annually by the Catholic Church worldwide. In 2026, the Church will celebrate 100 years of Mission Month observance.

During this year’s celebrations, parishioners were taught about their responsibilities in supporting the Church, the importance of prayer, evangelization, and active participation in various Catholic organizations.

One of the fruits of this year’s Mission Month is the establishment of the Catholic Family Movement (CFM) at Chitula Parish.

Next year, the 2026 Mission Month celebrations will be hosted by Manyani Parish, St Francis De Sales, in the Deanery of Madisi.

Parishioners praying mission Rosary as they conclude mission month.

Parishioners praying mission Rosary as they conclude mission month.

By Titus Jata Phiri

The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) has announced that it will officially launch the National Laity Day celebrations on 25 October 2025 at Ntcheu Parish in the Diocese of Dedza.

Making the announcement in Lilongwe on Friday, Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa, who spoke on behalf of the Bishop President of the Pastoral Commission, said this year’s celebrations will be held under the theme “Be Converted and Live.”

Bishop Mwakhwawa called on all Catholics across the country to take an active role in preparing for the event, emphasizing the importance of unity and participation among the faithful.

“The National Laity Day provides an opportunity for Catholics to reflect on their mission in the Church and society. We therefore encourage all dioceses, parishes, and lay groups to support the preparations,” Bishop Mwakhwawa said.

His lordship disclosed that the event has a budget of K14 million and appealed for both financial and material contributions from the faithful and well-wishers.

On his part, Onances Nyirenda, an Executive Member of the National Laity Council, said preparations are progressing well, with committees already in place to handle logistics, liturgy, and publicity.

“We are in the final stages of organizing the event. The response from dioceses and parish councils has been encouraging, and we look forward to a successful celebration,” Nyirenda said.

The National Laity Day is an annual event aimed at promoting the active participation of lay Catholics in the mission of the Church, in line with the vision of the Second Vatican Council which emphasizes the role of the laity in evangelization and community service.

This year’s national launch at Ntcheu Parish is expected to draw participants from all eight dioceses across the country.

By Monica Chinyama

Education authorities in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe have praised the outcome of the ECO STAR School project at Chiotha Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority (T.A.) Kabudula in Lilongwe District.

During a tour to appreciate how the school is implementing the project on Tuesday 14 October 2025, which involved donors Wilde Ganlzen and implementing partners Edukanz, Chrissy Mithi, Education Coordinator in the Archdiocese, expressed gratitude to Chiotha Primary School for its excellent work.

The school is implementing pig farming, a woodlot, a vegetable garden, and an Eco Star Learners Council, which has fostered strong coordination among learners, teachers, and the community.

Mibawa tree woodlot vist

woodlot

vegetable garden

pig farming

Mithi emphasized Chiotha Primary School’s commitment compared to other schools, citing their exemplary care of the trees and successful pig farming.

“We are satisfied because in some schools, for example, in Nsalu, we might find only three pigs, but here we have 11, And even the woodlot is very encouraging. We have seen that the Mibawa trees there are 50 and are surviving; in some schools, we find only a few surviving, but not at Chiotha. So, Chiotha is very encouraging in how they are managing their micro-projects.” She noted.

She expressed commitment to continued supervision of the project to ensure its sustainability as it phases out next year.

“In terms of sustainability, we are looking at the micro-projects themselves. The vegetable garden will continue because they will use the sales realized to buy seeds and continue. Likewise, the pig farming will continue because they sell the pigs.”

In his remarks, Edwin Chimwendo, the Head Teacher for Chiotha Primary School, expressed his joy with the ECO STAR School project, saying it has helped in teaching the community about environmental conservation.

Chimwendo added that it has also provided learners with practical lessons using the gardens and woodlots, thereby improving their performance.

Meanwhile, Kees De Jong, Director of the Wilde Ganlzen Foundation, said they saw it as important to work with Malawian communities to assist in conserving the environment, which is a major challenge.

De Jong expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the community and the school in the project’s implementation.

“At this school, there is much more dominance of parents and children. For example, the children have a children’s council, and they report when there is bullying or teacher absenteeism, and they find a way to report this through the head teacher, this way, you can also discipline teachers through pupils. So, that’s very unique, and it works very well.”

The visitors earlier met with the auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe His Lordship Right Reverend Vincent Mwakhwawa before touring the school.

By Peter Dumayo.