THE HOLY FAMILY PARISH, LINDA - IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LUSAKA

 

SVD Parish Profile:

By: Fr Lawrence Likulano, SVD

The Holy Family Parish, Linda is located around 20 Kilometers from Lusaka the capital city of Zambia. The parish is very young since it was only established as a parish in 2009 with many young families and a large number of youths. It was given to the Divine Word Missionaries in 2011.  The parish has one outstation of which is in the outskirt of the town, the majority of which are either peasant farmers. The main church has 15 Small Christian Communities (SCCs) while the outstation has 2 Small Christian Communities (SCCs). The level of education among the parishioners is generally average. Whence, ongoing education and laity formation is a felt need especially that the Lusaka Archdiocese in the year, 2021, has had elections for all parish structures.

The parish pastoral duties mainly undertaken at the parish are:

1. Construction of the parish house which is an ongoing project for the time being though the project is likely to be completed by 2024

2. Annual purchasing of Citrus Fruit tree plants with the help of the subsidy from the Generalate and distributing them to parishioners to mitigate the change of the weather patterns in response to the "Laudato SI" by the Holy Father, Pope Francis XVI.

3. We hold workshops on various Justice and Peace and Integrity of creation related issues time to time

4. We hold leadership workshops for both youths and adults in the parish often .

5. We continue conducting biblical workshops for our parishioners  annually.

6. We conduct catechetical workshops for our parishioners often.

7. We conduct ongoing formation liturgical workshops for our parishioners occasionally.

8. We continue conducting on going formation workshops for the parish pastoral team timely.

 

 

 YOUTH CAMP AT ST. CHARLES LWANGA PARISH

 By Fr. Antonius Doni, SVD

Youths are the future leaders. On 1 – 3 April 2022, we had youth camp in St. Charles Lwanga Parish.  This youth come was initiated to revive the youth in the parish due to Covid 19. The arrival time for the youth was between 15.00 hrs. to 18.00 hrs. We had supper at 18:30hrs then a meeting about how the program for the camp was going to be and to know the rules of the camp. We had good opportunity to know each other this night.

 

Youth camp was designed to have some workshops, games and sports. There were some concerns that were addressed at our workshops, namely; drugs, leaderships, public speaking, catholic doctrine. This youth camp was attended by 130 people. Social night was there to make all us to be one. On Sunday, we served as choirs in both masses, and we had elections for youth council executives. The camp was successful because of the support for our parents, priests.

 

 

YOUTH MARIAN PILGRIMAGE

 

On 21 may 2022, we the youths of St. Charles Lwanga Parish went for the diocesan youth pilgrimage. This pilgrimage was taken at Marian shrine in Mpima. The journey supposed to be started at 09.00 hrs. due to some parishes came late and after all the parishes arrived. We started the journey at 09:10 while reciting the rosary along the journey. We walked from the junction to the shrine, afterward we had confession and it was a success because of a good number of the youths confessed, and then we continued with mass.

We also had former minister of central province Mr. Mushanga. He was the guest of honor he was happy to see a good number of the youths present that day, and St. Charles Lwanga Parish was the highest number in the attendance. We were 121 youths. Theme of the pilgrimage was Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country to a town Judah (Luke 1: 39)

 

By Fr. Antonius Doni, SVD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FORMATION FOR FUTURE LEADERS

 

By Fr. Theodore Atsu Afanyedey, SVD. 

              St. Arnold Janssen Parish, Mwandi just ended the Easter school holidays formation for future leaders' program for pupils of grade 5 to 12. A total of twenty-seven teenagers participated in this eight days formation program.

              The participants were taken through Bible knowledge, Christian doctrine, Music, Good Manners, Public Speaking, Reading Skills, Learning Skills, and Career Guidance. The participants also used the opportunity to do communal labour for the Church. Various facilitators helped these pupils through the above mentioned subjects.

The Formation for Future Leaders is a holiday formation orientation program designed to help the teenagers of the parish to grow holistically and in a special way, to inculcate in them leadership roles of the Church. This program is under the auspices of Fr. Theodore Atsu Afanyedey, SVD, the Matron, and the Patron of Holy childhood.

 

 15 MINISTERS OF THE LITURGY INITIATED

 

By Fr. Theodore Atsu Afanyedey, SVD.

             

The fifth Sunday of Easter Silozi Mass in St. Arnold Janssen Parish, Mwandi, was filled with joy when fifteen young boys were initiated as Mass Servers. It was a joyful day for the parish as well as for these young boys who have longed for and very enthusiastic to serve at the Altar.

              These young boys are between the ages of 9 and 15 years. They were taken through three months initiation training through the supports of Mr. Elias Phiri and Fr. Theodore Atsu Afanyedey, SVD, the assistant parish priest.

The initiation rite was officiated by Fr. Theodore Atsu Afanyedey, SVD and assisted by the parish priest, Fr. Roman Janowski, SVD. In his homily, Fr. Roman Janowski, SVD thanked the Mass Servers who willing decided to be Altar servers. He urged them to show commitment to the service they have chosen and as well use this ministry as a means to get more closer to Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

FIRST MEETING OF FRIENDS OF THE NOVITIATE (FoN) IN ZAMBIA.

In the observation of the Zambia Mission since his arrival almost a year ago, Fr. George Clement Angmor, SVD, the Novice Master began taking several initiatives both in the novitiate community and the mission at large. The recent of these is the organization of the Friends of the Novitiate (FoN) which would be inaugurated into the SVD Lay Partners (SVDLP) in Kabwe, in the Catholic Diocese Kabwe of Zambia. This is the first in the diocese and second in the Zambia mission, following the premier group in the Holy Family Parish of Linda in the capital city of Lusaka, established by Fr. Lawrence Likulano, SVD, Parish Priest and also, the Mission Secretary.

The first meeting took place on Saturday, 21^st May, 2022, at the Divine Word Novitiate at Dallas, a suburb of Kabwe. A total number of twelve people were in attendance for the programme out of the earlier enlisted sixteen people, with two excused on travels.

As part of the programme, the novices made some Power Point presentations. Fraters Appiah Samuel started with a presentation on Who are the Divine Word Missionaries?, followed by Nyabwari Ombuna Cosmas, who presented on Who are the SVD Lay Partners?, and concluding the presentations was What is the novitiate? by Matiwaza Hanani. As part of the presentations, some video clips from the SVD lay partners around the globe were shown. This gave them more ideas on what SVD lay partners are doing and where to possibly start from.

Fr. George announced that the group would be inaugurated on 17^th July, 2022, the upcoming day of the profession of first vows of the novices. This has been agreed to in consultation with Fr. Lawrence Likulano, SVD, and Fr. Martin Kawana, SVD, the Mission Superior. He also informed the house about the upcoming meeting of the AFRAM SVD Lay Partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and suggested that if some would be interested, arrangements could be made for them to participate. It was also made known to the new friends, the websites of the SVD, SSpS, SSpSAP and the Lay Partners, for them to visit and read more about the Arnoldus Family.

In addition, Fr. George also read to the group, a message from the SVD Generalate Mission Secretary, Fr. Stanislaus Lazar, SVD. Among other things, he reminded them of the fact that like every baptized person, we are called to be missionary disciples, and by becoming SVD Lay Partners, they are being called to collaborate with the SVD as partners in mission, learning and sharing in the Arnoldus Spirituality, promising that they would be enriched by becoming part of the Arnoldus Family, much as we are also enriched.

Out of those present for this first meeting, four were nominated as interim executives. They are as follows from different parishes:

⮚     Chairperson                 –          Mrs. Chileshe Ndalia of Holy Rosary, Mukobeko

⮚     Secretary                     –          Mr. Mike Munyama of St. Monica, Lukanga

⮚     Financial Secretary     –          Ms. Julian Kwara Kambole of St. Charles Lwanga,

Chindwin

⮚     Publicity Officer         –          Mrs. Mwansa Nyirongo of St. Charles Lwanga,

Chindwin.

The following materials/hand-outs were given to them: Statutes of SVD friends in Zambia, Who are the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD?, and A Bouquet of Prayers (a leaflet of prayers).

 After the programme, some people were interviewed and this is what they had to say about the programme and SVD lay partners: According to Mr. Mike Munyama, it was inspiring and very informative. Despite the fact that he grew up from an SVD parish in Livingstone, never has he heard of something as the SVD lay partners.

For Ms. Pascalina Chanda, it was beautiful and inspiring. She was surprised to come to the realization of what others are doing around the world to reach out to those in need as lay faithful. According to her, the programme has offered her the zeal to join other lay faithful to come out with programmes and projects to help others, especially, those in need as an SVD lay partner. And for Ms. Julian Kwara Kambole, it was all-together good. It is a good initiative and worth developing.   

The programme lasted two and a half hours, and came to an end with the praying of Vespers (Evening Prayers) and having supper together, with some more socialization before departure. 

 

Augustine Dery

 

      Graduation Day 2022

 

        Friday, 27^th of May 2022 is to be written in golden letters for two of our postulants namely Oscar Saimon and Ernest Chiwala Katongo. [standing Left and Right in the picture - At the middle is Mr. Evans Poniso who left us.] It is believed they are the 32^nd batch of Philosophy students completing their formation studies in the philosophy house in Zambia. [From the time of its beginning in Kabwe house]. Although the reliability of these claims might be suspect, the happiness and fulfillment felt and enjoyed by these graduands as well as others related to them is no way diminished.  As for St. Bonaventure this graduation ceremony was its 30^th. 

        We thank the different professors, and spiritual directors and formators who were instrumental in brining to fruition the effort began by these two young men in 2019. While one found himself rather bewildered and confused at the beginning he feels confident to go on as three years he has wandered in the ‘forest of philosophy’ as he himself puts it.  

“I came to the philosophy house in Lusaka, full of zeal but also pregnant with pre-conceived ideas from pre-philosophy. When I reminiscence about my first year of philosophy in 2019, I just laugh and say, ‘Really, that was me’ I was like a lost soul in a forest, without a compass to go. Maybe to put it philosophically, I was in the cave, as Plato said. When I reflect, I just say to myself, ‘Well, that was just a phase.’  When I reached the second year of my philosophy, there! There was mental gymnastics. I could experience and feel my mental muscles getting strained. I had to sacrifice and lessen some of my sleeping hours to aim higher… My three years of philosophy are rich with episodes of sadness and happiness. Be that as it may, philosophy has broadened my horizons in looking at life, of approaching different situations in life. Being at St. Bonaventure University, it was a thrilling moment with different people of different congregations, different nationalities, different languages, and, above all, different cultures.”     

        As Ernest  Katongo writes, I have stayed in Lusaka SVD Philosophy House for three years, and my stay has been a fruitful and wonderful time. I have learnt a lot of things. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the SVD community for the care and support I've received, whether in spiritual, academic, or community life. Thank you. We thank God for the blessings n both these young men and pray they he will bless and guide them with his spirit though their journey ahead in the Society of the Divine Word.

By: Philosophy House

Vocation Discernment

           

This year in our diocese in Livingstone is dedicated to the youth. There was an official lunching of that year in our three deaneries. And part of the theme is known as vocation discernment. The young people have lots of questions and doubts, which direction to move and what kind of life God has prepared for them.  This work was specifically given to The Diocesan Vocation Team. The Team is composed of the representatives of all Congregations working in the diocese, Diocesan priest, Youth chaplain, one person representing single vocation and a married couple. Generally only half of the Team is very committed. This year we managed to visit almost all the schools and Institutions. Usually the time before their exams we more concentrate on the parishes. This is why last Sunday we visited Maramba Catholic Parish, known as Christ the King Parish.

          That Parish has many young people. During different sports, musical and picnic programs there are plenty of them. But when comes to religious programs the story is very different. Especially when we call them to our meetings concerning vocation program. Some of them do not want later to be called by their friends “priests” or “sisters”. Anyway most of them are very much interested in the marriage vocation.

         Our program was announced one week earlier. Also on the day of the program once more the announcement was brought to the young people. Some of the members of our Team were present there during that announcement attending that Mass. There was not so much enthusiasm upon seeing priests or sisters, but the moment the young couple appeared there was lots of joy and clapping hands. Their made our meeting very successful. Most of the questions were directed to the couple and to the priests only asking: when the priests going to get married? Also someone asked: who is a permanent deacon? None should be surprised to such atmosphere among the young people in Maramba Parish. There are a few diocesan priests, who got married and live within that parish. This time the young people look very realistically. Nevertheless there were few young boys and girls, who were also interested in religious life. We had done our part, now everything is in God’s hands.

Prepared by Fr. Romek SVD

Diocesan Vocation Team –Livingstone.

JOY AT MUKOBEKO PARISH

          I came for Bible workshop to Mukobeko Parish just two days before Palm Sunday. The parishioners’ thoughts were quite a lot directed towards Jesus passion and suffering. Also my program there was delayed because of the death of my sister, who suffered a lot for almost 25 years of her sickness. At the end it was a joy during her funeral and we celebrated her life. 

           There were a number of expectations from me. With my broken chibemba and limited knowledge of the Bible we started the workshop. First it was quite small group. Fr. Dony and the chairman were quite disappointed. I consoled them to be happy, accept the reality and look towards better future. This small group was very alive, full of joy and zeal to know the Bible. Probably God’s words spread very quickly, that the group was growing all the time. In the afternoon a huge garage of Fr. Mukwai was filled. There was not space to park even one car. Maybe one bike still could fit there. Less and less parishioners were preoccupied with the coming of Passion Sunday, but so much concerned with God’s words.

         Generally the atmosphere during workshop was great. The parishioners asked lots of interesting and potential questions. Many questions came from various denominations, Small Christian Communities sharing and different liturgical celebrations. My little Bible knowledge was put to the test. With the help of the Holy Spirit all went well. In fact we were learning together. I believe such workshop is an open eye to all our pastoral activities.

          During the second day of our workshop more leaders attended, because it was a Saturday and they were free from their regular work. They contributed a lot towards the building of Parish Bible Team. Also they wanted me to come back soon with the other Bible workshop. Traditionally I gave them a positive answer. Probably my soon will be shorter than “Jesus soon coming back”.

Prepared by Fr. Romek SVD

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW NOVITIATE HOUSE KABWE – ZAMBIA

25TH JULY 2018: THE FEAST OF ST. JAMES, THE APOSTLE.

We are gathered together this afternoon to mark the official opening of the New SVD Novitiate House here in Kabwe, Zambia. It is the fourth existing Novitiate House in AFRAM. The three already existing ones are in Luanda – Angola (6 novices),Bandundu – D. R. Congo (9 novices) and Nkwatia-Kwahu – Ghana (13 novice); and this New Novitiate will also have 6 novices. That brings the total number of SVD novices in AFRAM for the 2018/2019 formation year to 34.

1.Joue

“A thousand miles of a journey start with one step”

I am Tovonoely Jean Joseph Hery Joue, from The Archdiocese of Antananarivo in Madagarikana (Madagascar). I was born on the 3^rd of January. I joined the Divine Word Missionaries on the 22^nd of September 2013. After completing philosophy, I was sent to Kenya to learn English for 10 months in preparation for my novitiate in Zambia. I arrived in Zambia on the 10^th of June 2018 and started novitiate on 25^th July 2018.

 

2. Benedict

I am Benedict Musyoki Mwainzia. I come from Machakos Diocese in Kenya. I did my philosophical and religious studies at Consolata Institute of Philosophy in Nairobi and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy on the 5^th of May 2017. I am now in Zambia for novitiate from 25^th of July 2018 to 25^th of July 2019.

 

3. Rolland

I am Rolland Andriamampionona, from The Diocese of Antsiranana in Madagascar. I did my philosophy in Fianarathoa in Madagascar and completed in 2017. Afterwards I was sent to Kenya to learn English. I comleted the English course in 2018. Currently I am in the novitiate in Zambia.

 

4. Franco

I am Franco TOMBO. I come from Madagascar. I was borne on 19th of December 1991 in Ambanja diocese. I have four brothers and two sisters; I am the third child in our family. In addition, I had done philosophy in Madagascar before I started my noviciate program with four others fraters on 25th of July 2018 in ZAMBIA (Kabwe).

 

5. Adrian

I am Adrian Mutandwa, from St DominicsMubaira in the Archdiocese of Harare in Zimbabwe. I was born on the 7^th of August 1993 in Harare. I joined the Society of the Divine Word on the 11^th of September 2014 and started my formation in Ndolwane, Zimbabwe. I studied philosophy, religious studies and psycho-spirituality at St Bonaventure University College in Lusaka, Zambia. I completed my studies in May 2018. Currently I am in the Novitiate in Kabwe, Zambia. We started the novitiate program on 25^th July 2018.