Chikwawa Diocese CWO reliefs St Peter’s Major Seminary
Chikwawa Diocese CWO reliefs St Peter’s Major Seminary
By Rev Deacon Stanford Sungani
On Saturday, 5th June 2021, St. Peter’s Major Seminary was graced with a visit by the Catholic Women Organization of Chikwawa Diocese. This was the second time that the Catholic women Organization of Chikwawa Diocese paid a visit to St. Peter’s Major Seminary. The purpose of their visit to the seminary was to cheer the students of the institution and convey to them a word of encouragement as they proceed with their formation to priesthood. They also donated various assorted items.
The women were 12 in number and represented all Catholic Women Organization members of Chikwawa Diocese from all of its 14 parishes. In delivering the items to the seminary, Mrs Chilenje, (the Vice Chair lady for the grouping) on behalf of the women expressed a word of inordinate gratification to almighty God for allowing them to fulfil their plan of visiting the seminary. She also thanked the rector of the seminary for the good hospitality that the seminary rendered to them. Further to that, she advised the reverend Deacons and seminarians to both work and pray hard so that they reach their goal of becoming priests, for the Church of Malawi is in need of more priests. Finally, she promised the seminary that by the end of the month of June the Catholic women organisation of Chikwawa Diocese will pay half of the school fees of one student in this 2020-2021 academic year.
Speaking on behalf of the entire students’ body, brother Sitolo thanked the women for their generous gesture and exhorted them to continue being generous to the Church through their charitable works. And on behalf of the seminary, the rector of the institution, Rev. Fr. Anthony Kadyampakeni reiterated a word of thanks to the Catholic Women Organization of Chikwawa Diocese for always remembering to share their goods with the seminary. He expressed his delight in the women’s decision to pay half of schools fees of one student in this 2020-2021 academic year and also encouraged the women to never tire but to keep the fire burning in their ministry of reaching out to different people through their charitable works. Finally, the rector appealed to the women to continue supporting priests of Chikwawa Diocese and in particular to prepare also for the ordination to priesthood of Deacons Stanford Sungani and Isaac Jackson who will be ordained priests on 23rd October, 2021 upon completion of their theological studies.
St. Peter’s Major Seminary is a formation house owned by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi in Zomba Diocese. The seminary aims at forming and moulding Rev Deacons and major seminarians under formation to become good Catholic priests in future. The institution offers Catholic theological studies to students from all 8 Catholic Dioceses of Malawi. In this academic year, St. Peter’s Major Seminary has an enrolment of 15 students from the Catholic Diocese of Chikwawa. Out of the 15 students, 13 are seminarians and 2 are Deacons whose ordination to priesthood is on 23rd October, 2021 at St Michael’s-Chikwawa Cathedral.
Among the items donated by the women are: 4 trays of eggs, 5 bags of maize, 2 bales of sugar, 10 litres of cooking oil, 15 loaves of bread and 10 goats.