The Tribute continues to pour on the death of Father Claude Boucher, a catholic missionary priest who served at the Mua mission in Dedza District.
Scores of people have taken to various social media platforms to express their love for the departed father
Fr. Boucher, who was also known as ‘Achisale’, has passed on today at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe.
His successor at Mua Mission, Father Brenda O’Shea, has confirmed the development.
Father Boucher was a staunch custodian of the Malawian cultural heritage, and for more than 40 years, he spent his time researching Malawian culture and languages.
Born in 1941 in Montreal, Canada, Boucher came to Malawi in December 1967. His interest was piqued when his aunt, who was a nun, was deployed to Malawi in 1949.
He studied Theology and Anthropology at Gaba Kampala in Uganda. His love for Cultural preservation stems from an encounter he had while working in the Native American Ojibwe tribe in Canada.
He noted that many members of their traditional language had stopped using their customs, and so the Ojibwe culture was slowly being forgotten.
His love of art had existed since he was a child—he was a self-taught painter before going to college where he perfected his skills.
After completing a post-graduate degree at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Boucher travelled to Malawi.
While in Malawi, he travelled around different districts in the country and was able to meet diverse tribes such as the Yao, Chewa and many others. This propelled him to embark on a journey of preserving local Malawian culture.
This marked the birth of the Kungoni Centre for Culture and Arts under the Mua mission, where Boucher was the founder.
The Centre was established to give the local carvers skills in a variety of artistic forms to improve their income and socio-economic stability.
Besides the carvings, the Kungoni Centre has also developed a cultural sector which includes the Chamare Museum, the research centre, local traditional dancing troupe and cultural courses.
The title ‘Achisale’ was given to Boucher when he was living among the Ngoni people in Ntcheu District as a way of integrating him into their society, and the name denotes respect.
Mua’s mission was established by the white fathers in 1902.
