The Catholic Church in Malawi has today, 28th June 2025, hosted a highly anticipated “Special Tea with Archbishop,” fundraising event which has successfully rallied support for the nation’s very first National Children’s Congress, set to take place from July 30th to August 4th, 2025, at Don Bosco Parish in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe.
The event, organized by the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB), through the Pontifical Mission Societies, highlighted the Church’s renewed focus on its youngest members.
Speaking after the event, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe, His Grace George Desmond Tambala explained that bishops, recognizing the Church’s growth among children, decided it was time to prioritize them.
Archbishop Tambala has interestingly said that the idea for a children’s congress didn’t just come from the top, but it was a plea from the children themselves.
His Grace shared that children across various parishes and dioceses had specifically asked for their own time to pray and reflect on their faith and that the congress is the Church’s direct answer to this “cry and request,” and it’s just the beginning of many more such events to come.
Archbishop Tambala also issued a heartfelt appeal to parents to accompany the children and urging them to attend, emphasizing that children want to express their faith in front of their parents and church leaders which he stressed, would encourage and strengthen the children in their faith.
“Come in your numbers, big numbers and accompany the children,” Archbishop Tambala implored.
In his remarks, the Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi, Father Peter Madeya, underscored the financial need for the congress.
“For this Congress to take place we need resources,” he stated, urging parents to provide financial support to make the July event a reality.
He has highlighted that the congress is vital for strengthening children’s faith, preparing them to “defend the Church and also can defend the society.”
The funds raised today at Maula Cathedral are essential as they’ll cover the logistics for the Children’s Congress, which will teach participants about faith, values, and critical issues like human trafficking and cyberbullying.
By Eric Norman Mkwaira
