The local clergy from Diocese of Mangochi decided to demonstrate their serious minds ongoing ‘a self-reliant church way’ by calling the faithful to support the course to build a hostel that will generate income for the welfare of the clergy in future.
On Saturday 4th January 2020, people from all walks of life gathered at St. Augustine Cathedral in Mangochi to witness a raffle draw that was organised by an Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy of Mangochi (ADCCOM) with the intention of raising a sum of MK14m for the construction of a students hostel at Daughters of Mary Immaculate (DMI) University in the diocese.
The activities of the day began with a Holy Mass led by His Lordship Bishop Montfort Stima. In his homily, Bishop Stima called upon the clergy and Catholic in the diocese to seek to know on how best to serve God better with what God has blessed them with.
“Almost all white missionaries that came to serve in our diocese are gone back to Italy or gone back to the Father, the local Church has no access of the support she used to receive thru them. It is time to start supporting our courses. The native church is obliged to sustain the services the missionaries rendered in the proclamation of the gospel, Bishop Stima said.
However, Bishop Stima, commended all people of goodwill countrywide for heeding to the call with action, saying “what is happening across the dioceses is one of the good examples of actions that define the catholicity of the Church”. We have witnessed Catholics and non-Catholics from across the country and beyond responding positively to the calls made institutions in the diocese. We recognize the efforts rendered and the spirit behind all the support ushered to us. We are a grateful people”. He added
In his remarks, Mangochi diocese ADCCOM Chairperson Father Augustine Friday, thanked all well-wishers who made the raffle draw possible, saying he is optimistic that the 15 million kwacha estimated building will be realized and the project will be implemented as planned.
Fr. Friday called upon prize winners who made it on the day to collect their prizes by February 28th, 2020.
In an interview with our correspondent right after the function, Hon. Shadreck Namalomba, Member of Parliament for Mangochi South West Constituency who was also guest of honor at the ceremony spilt the beans when in time Mangochi will be declared a city. He hence challenged the Church to begin investing heavily in the lakeshore district as Mangochi may soon be the leading tourist destination. “This will be an opportunity for the diocese to realize its dream of becoming self -reliant once it thinks outside the box”. Namalomba said.
Several well-wishers donated towards the project.
The Raffle Draw saw grand prizes of motorcycle, refrigerator and a mountain pushbike went away to Mr. T. Thom, a third year seminarian from St. Paul the Apostle Minor Seminary in Mangochi, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) Dr. Collins Magalasia and Lucy Ng’ombe respectively.
Men, women and children got away with as consolation prizes of rosaries, umbrellas, caps, mug caps Holy Bibles and many more. Almost all prizes carried a logo of the Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy of Mangochi
In his concluding remarks, Bishop Stima described the function as transparent, and those deserving participants got the prizes.
He finally requested well-wishers to continue providing their support even though the raffle draw was closed on 4th January 2020
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