Taking up Pioneering Mission in Malawi – Journey to Karonga Diocese
Greetings from Malawi team! We are fine and doing well in Malawi. We would like to present to you these few lines regarding our first journey to Karonga diocese in Malawi.
After the arrival of Fr. Ignacimuthu, the Provincial and Fr. Nicholas, the bursar on 13th of October, 2018 in the provincial house, Morogoro, immediate preparations to go to Malawi was undertaken. On 15th of October, 2018, we (Frs. Soosai Raj, Anantharaj and Nelson Arockiasamy) had a meeting with our provincial and bursar and thereafter there was a common meeting in which, Fr. Mathew Thazhathukunnel enlightened us on certain things.
As scheduled, on 16th October, 2018, we six of us (both the provincials, the bursar and we the pioneering team) began our journey from MSFS provincial house Morogoro to Karonga diocese after the celebration of the Holy Eucharistic at 5.30 am by Fr. Mathew, the Provincial of EastAfrica province. In the evening around 7.30 pm, we reached OCD Novitiate at Mbeya, for the night stay. On 17th morning, we began our journey after the mass celebrated by Fr. Ignacimuthu.
At 10.15 am, we reached the border and we had to spend sometime in the border for the formalities to be completed. At 1.30 pm (Malawi time), we reached St. Mary’s parish in the diocese of Karonga. The Bishop Rt. Rev. Martin Mtumbuka, all the priests of Karonga diocese,
people from St. Mary’s parish and people from Livingstonia parish which will be entrusted to MSFS, came to welcome us. After our lunch, Provincials and the bursar had a meeting with the Bishop.
On 18th October, 2018, we visited Livingstonia. The people welcomed us warmly and we had a meeting with the elders and the people. We also visited the land, where the Parish church is to be constructed and also we planted some pine trees. In the evening, the Bishop of Karonga arranged dinner in the new bishop’s house to honor and welcome us into his diocese. All the priests, religious and others, working in the diocese participated.
From 19th to 22nd of October, 2018, we all of us went to the neighboring dioceses of Mzuzu and Lilongwe to meet some of the religious congregations, like Capuchins, Missionaries of Africa, Carmelites, and DMI. We also had a meeting with the Bishop of Mzuzu. On 22nd of October, 2018, we had another meeting with the bishop of Karonga in the Cathedral parish and discussed about our stay, learning the language and individual experiences and other matters concerning taking up the Livingstonia mission in the month of March, 2019. After lunch, our Frs. Mathew, Ignacimuthu and Nicholas wished us and bid us goodbye and started their journey back to Morogoro. Right now, we are staying in the Diocese of Karonga and are learning the language. We are looking forward to the month of March, 2019 to take up Livingstonia mission.
Fr. D. Nelson