Lilongwe Archdiocese Celebrates Diaconate Ordination, Growth of Pallottine Congregation
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by
Eric Mkwaira
Eric MkwairaThe St. Vincent Pallotti House in Lilongwe has today 08th March 2025, witnessed a joyous occasion as Brothers Barnett Chokani Phiri and Yohane Lucas of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate were ordained as deacons.
The ceremony, led by Archbishop George Desmond Tambala of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe, highlighted the importance of service and the remarkable growth of the Pallottine Congregation.
Archbishop Tambala expressed his heartfelt gratitude and encouragement to the newly ordained deacons, emphasizing the essence of their ministry.
“A message of encouragement, a message of gratitude and a message of prayers for them,” Archbishop Tambala stated. “We are going to pray, we promised to pray for them and also encourage them in their new ministry to stick by what they have promised here.”
His Grace Tambala underscored the biblical roots of the diaconate, tracing it back to the apostles’ selection of individuals to serve the poor.
“Today deacons they do service in many ways and in the church that’s what we expect them to do,” he explained. “So, another example that I use to illustrate this is Jesus himself who said that if one of us has to be considered great amongst us he is the one who serves. But also, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. So, this is why I kept insisting and we have to insist that being a deacon is actually about service.”
The archbishop also praised the Pallottine congregation for their significant contribution to the archdiocese through their chaplaincy.
“For the Palatines congregation the same thing, a message of gratitude because they are helping us a lot in that process through the chaplaincy. So many, many thanks,” he said.
The Archbishop also expressed his hope that these young seminarians would serve as role models and mentors for the youth. “And also, for the youth, I would like also that these young people, we can engage them at some stage, to interact with the youth, to encourage the youth in their own struggles, you know,” he said.
Deacon Barnett Chokani Phiri, one of the newly ordained, shared his profound joy and gratitude.
“I am very pleased and very grateful to God first of all for the gift of Diaconate that I have received today,” he said. “This is something that I’ve been longing for so many years ever since I decided to respond positively to the calling in the Catholic Church.”
Deacon Barnett also offered words of encouragement to young people, urging them to pursue their goals with prayer and dedication.
“Life is a project and so just like in any other project you aim at something and once you aim at something put it into prayer and then God will help you from what you already want to do with your life.”
The Pallottine priests will serve not only in Malawi but also in countries like Rwanda, South Africa, West Africa, and Germany. The celebration was a testament to the dedication of the newly ordained deacons and the vibrant growth of the Pallottine congregation in Lilongwe.
By Eric Mkwaira
