The Diocesan catholic clergy and the Religious men and women have called for greater unity and collaboration to strengthen the Church’s evangelisation mission.

 

The call has been made by Father David Niwagaba, a Montfort Missionary and representative of the Association of Men Religious in Malawi (AMRIM), at the Catholic Secretariat in Lilongwe, where representatives of three Church bodies met Papal Envoy Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu.

 

Archbishop Nwachukwu is in the country as part of the celebrations marking 125 years of the Catholic Church’s permanent establishment in Malawi.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy (ADCCOL), the Association of Men Religious in Malawi (AMRIM) and the Association of Women in Religious Institute of Malawi (AWRIM).

Presenting a joint report on behalf of the three organisations, Father Niwagaba said diocesan clergy, religious men and religious women have made significant contributions to the growth of the Catholic Church in Malawi over the past 125 years.

“The diocesan clergy are doing a very good job in evangelisation, in collaboration with the religious men and religious women,” Father Niwagaba said.

 

He noted that the Church’s evangelisation efforts continue to face challenges, including inadequate transport, difficulties in mobilisation and coordination, among religious men.

 

Father Niwagaba said addressing the challenges requires stronger cooperation among the different groups involved in the Church’s mission.

He called for greater unity among religious men, saying they could achieve more by working together rather than operating individually.

 

“For the men religious, unity is what is needed. They are doing a lot alone, but it is a moment for us to come together as men religious to do more,” he said.

 

The meeting provided Archbishop Nwachukwu with an opportunity to interact directly with representatives of the clergy and religious, listen to their experiences and gain a deeper understanding of their work in serving the Church and communities across the country.

The engagement forms part of the Papal Envoy’s programme in Malawi ahead of the main celebrations marking 125 years of the Catholic Church’s permanent establishment, scheduled for September 19 at Nzama Parish in the Diocese of Dedza.

 

By Monica Chinyama Lipiya