Catechists: The Backbone of the Church, Strengthened and Renewed

Catechists from the Archdiocese of Lilongwe have gathered for an annual meeting aimed at strengthening their faith and equipping them to better serve their communities in the face of increasing secular influence.

The four-day event, held at St. Francis of Assisi, Kanengo Parish, will provide ongoing formation to help catechists deepen their understanding of Catholic teachings and spiritual life.

Auxiliary Bishop of Lilongwe, Right Reverend Vincent Mwakhwawa, emphasized the importance of the meeting in fostering a deeper spiritual life and a richer understanding of Catholic teachings among catechists.

Rt. Rev. Mwakhwawa stressed the need for catechists to be exemplary models of faith and to actively engage in building the local church.

“We want them to be good shepherds, just like just Christ. They should go back after this training session with a deepened spiritual life, but also enriched understanding of the Catholic teachings. And we want them to really continue build the local church,” said bishop Mwakhwawa.

The bishop acknowledged the challenges faced by catechists in today’s world, particularly the influence of secularism and the rapid dissemination of information.

He encouraged catechists to build strong communities of believers, capable of navigating these challenges and remaining unshakeable in their faith.

“As time is going, you know that there are so many things that happen. Sometimes our people are receiving a lot of information in the grassroots. There are so many influences of the secular world to deal with the globalization. Therefore, we want the catechists to continue the work of building a community of believers, a community of adventurers,” bishop Mwakhwawa concluded.

In his remarks, the chaplain of the catechists in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Father Peter Chatambalala highlighted the significance of the annual meeting in addressing the diverse challenges faced by catechists.

Fr. Chatambalala emphasized the importance of equipping catechists with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively serve their communities.

“This is a timely event that has come among us. There are a number of challenges and one of them would be level of understanding. We do deal with people who understand things in a different way. And catechists, as evangelizers and teachers of faith, they have a great role to contribute to faith information among the people they serve in the local church,” said Fr. Chatambalala.

The meeting, funded by the Pontifical Mission Societies of Malawi through the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, is supported by the church’s collections on Mission Sundays.