St Egidio community pledges more support as it turns 50

The community of St Egidio has pledged to continue supporting the needy in Malawi as it celebrates 50 years of existence.

Speaking during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Community of St Egidio in Blantyre, national coordinator for the community Keegan Mwanguku said during the past five decades the community has advocated for peace, prayer and love for the poor.

“The gospel of Luke is true to our lives as we have experienced the mystery of the miracle of friendship that enlightens us to live without borders, the joy of living together. In the 50 years, we were really given authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and yet not being hurt.

“Such is evident through the work of DREAM that many Aids patients have managed to live with our care, the smiles we have brought on the elderly and the homeless. Among us, each of us has a story to tell,” said Mwanguku.

Concurring with Mwanguku, a missionary priest of the Community of Saint Egidio Father Ernest Kafunsa said the community has done a lot in spreading of the Gospel in the past 50 years.

“We are greatly indebted to the Lord for his mercies and love for the generosity He has allowed us to share. The Lord has allowed us to win the sense of hopelessness and powerlessness in front of evil and become brothers and sisters in the evangelization,” said Kafunsa.

A volunteer of the Community of St Egidio in Blantyre, Lawyer Alexious Kamangila, said they look forward to do more in helping people that need help through their charity works.

Established in Rome, Italy in 1968 by Andrea Riccardi, Community of St Edigio is a worldwide movement of lay people, based on prayer, peace, solidarity, ecumenism, and dialogue and committed to serve the poor people.

In Malawi, it was introduced in 2000 and it has a membership of 8000 people working to spread the gospel to children, the elderly, the sick, the blind and the deaf as well as to those that are in prisons in all parts of the country.