Indeed, it is a grace-filled moment for our entire Province as we have taken up a new parish in the diocese of Mzuzu in Malawi. St. Alphonsus Rodriguez pro-parish, Masasa is our sixth parish in Malawi. We thank God for His abundance of love and gracious gifts at every step of our missionary venture. Fr. Infant Jesus is installed as the parish priest and Fr. Eugine Earnest as the assistant parish priest. The handing-over program took place on 9 th August 2024 at 09.00 am. Rev. Fr. Thomas Gondwe, the former Parish Priest, presented the reports in the presence of Rt. Rev. Yohane, the Auxiliary Bishop of Mzuzu, Rev. Fr. Soosai Raj, MSFS, the Mission Superior, and the Parish committee. The Parish is located in Mzuzu, about three kilometers away from the centre of the town. It adds further value, as this place lies in the middle of our mission stations spread between the centre of the country to the northern borders.
There are around 1,500 Catholics living in this parish. A good number of them attend the daily Mass. The parish consists of two zones and eleven small Christian communities. The territory of the parish is geographically very terrain. The roads connecting the villages to the main station are muddy and uneven. In the rainy season, it is slippery, making the travel risky and dangerous. The farthest village is 60 kilometres away from the parish and is situated down the hill. The parish has a spacious Church, but the presbytery needs to be constructed.
We appreciate Fr. Soosai Raj, the Mission Superior and the confreres in Malawi for their efforts in expanding the mission. We wish Fr. Infant Jesus and Fr. Eugine Earnest all the best and God’s abundant blessings as they have taken up this pro-parish with a lot of enthusiasm and commitment.