The Catholic Church on Saturday ordained 24 seminarians to become deacons in the church in an ordination ceremony that took place at St Peter’s Major Seminary in Zomba Diocese which was presided over by Auxiliary Bishop, Vincent Mwakhwawa of the Lilongwe Archdiocese.
Speaking at St. Peter’s Major Seminary during the ordination, Bishop Mwakhwawa thanked God for calling the 24 seminarians to serve the church.
He, in turn, thanked the 24 seminarians for responding to God’s call to serve the church, saying this has increased the number of deacons in the church.
He further thanked parents and guardians for allowing their sons to serve the church in this capacity and called on other parents to enrol on seminaries so that they should become priests to fill gaps that currently exist in the church.
Turning to the newly ordained deacons, Bishop Mwakhwawa advised them to humbly serve their congregants and further called them to give hope to the hopeless and the downtrodden
He also thanked formators who teach at Nankhunda, Kasina, Kachebere Seminaries, and St. Peter’s Major Seminary for teaching and grooming future priests.
Bishop Mwakhwawa called on congregants in the country to warmly welcome the newly ordained deacons by providing them with necessities.
“We are passing through tough economic times. Let me ask the newly ordained deacons to be closer to people so that you should pray with them,” he added.
A Rector at St. Peter’s Major Seminary, Fr. Daniel Kamanga thanked Bishop Mwakhwawa for allowing to preside over the ordination and further commended formators for doing a commendable job of teaching the seminarians to become de
Fr. Kamanga advised the 24 deacons to be dedicated to their calling until they become priests.
Newly ordained deacon, Gervazio Chikuni, who is from Kamangilira Parish in the Lilongwe Archdiocese, said he was thankful to God for His guidance in the right choice of his life.
He also thanked his parents and all those who gave him support reach this fat. He asked them to keep on praying for him till he is officially a priest.
Parents representative, Vitaline Makina, said she was happy and thanked God for being with their sons until they were ordained to become deacons.
She called upon the newly ordained deacons to love God and continue to take advice from their respective priests and Bishops.
She encouraged parents and guardians to send more children to seminaries so that they should become deacons to serve the church better.
The newly ordained deacons are from Zomba Diocese, Blantyre and Lilongwe Archdioceses, Chikwawa, Mzuzu, Mangochi and Karonga dioceses.
