In a compelling celebration of faith and commitment, the parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola – Masuku, nestled within the ecclesiastical bounds of the Diocese of Mangochi, bore witness to a momentous occasion on August 23, 2025. Twenty-nine young boys and girls, postulants of spiritual maturity, received the Sacrament of Confirmation, a rite of passage that imbues them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and fortifies their journey in Christ. The Solemn Mass, presided over by the Rt. Rev. Montfort Stima, Prelate of the Diocese of Mangochi, and concelebrated by Fr. Lazarus Girevulo, Parish Priest of St. Ignatius of Loyola – Masuku Parish, and Fr. Francis Kachere, Curate of the parish, resonated with the sacred cadence of liturgical solemnity.
In his soul-searching homily, Bishop Stima posed a probing question to the faithful, asking those who had received the Sacrament of Confirmation the previous year to rise. A mere six young boys and girls stood up, a number starkly contrasting with the thirty-five who had received Confirmation in the preceding year. The Bishop expressed “disappointment and frustration” at this paucity, lamenting, “This shows failure by Christians and parents to enhance and support our young souls.” In normal circumstances, he opined, it ought to be an occasion of jubilant celebration for those confirmed last year to attend and share in the joy of their peers receiving the Sacrament today, as “it reminds them of their own Sacrament of which would be so fresh.”
Bishop Stima drew a theological parallel between this occurrence and the Gospel word of Christ, saying, “‘Those that love me keep my word.’ Or in other words, those who love me listen to my word. We are good at promises, but unfortunately, we do not keep promises. It is usually easier said than done. We are full of promises and lies. The ten commandments of God are manifested both in words and deeds. He enjoined the soon-to-be confirmed Christians “to show the face of Christ to people back home, more especially to those who do not believe in Christ, Masuku being a Muslim dominated area. Christ is the way, the truth and the life; this must be reflected in their lives.” The Bishop cautioned the faithful to eschew the habit of hypocrisy, exhorting, “Let’s always be truthful in all we do, emulating the life of Christ. Let us desist the life of behaving like signposts, pointing to others the way to God, without us embarking on the journey. Let us not allow our priests to preach to signposts. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to change us.”
Mr. Luka Phiri, Parish Moderator, expressed gratitude in his words, saying, “Thanked the Bishop for always finding time to visit the parish; his visits are always a morale booster.” Fr. Lazarus Girevulo, Parish Priest, voiced appreciation for Bishop Stima’s presence to confer the Sacrament despite the small number of candidates, averring that “This shows the commitment and love the Bishop as the Vicar of Christ.” Fr. Girevulo bemoaned “the lack of commitment displayed by some parents, more especially those from out-churches, who chose not to send their children to this year’s catechesis classes, instead chose to send their children to traditional rite of passage (zinamwali za chikunja) organised by heathens, those that do not believe in Christ. What kind of behaviour will these children inherit from this rite of passage?” he questioned.
In his concluding remarks, Bishop Stima expressed a “dilemma the Church of Mangochi is facing as compared to the neighbouring dioceses, Dedza in particular. Drastic measures have to be considered if our diocese is to be at par with our neighbouring dioceses.” He took the opportunity to urge the faithful to procure the “Questions and Answers from the Bible booklet, where all questions about the Catholic faith are tactfully tackled. He said this book is a must-have for every Christian.”
Report by Fr Francis Kachere
Communications Secretary
Diocese of Mangochi