On the occasion of official launch of Diocesan Tree Planting Day, Saturday, January 26th this year held at St. Paul the Apostle Minor Seminary (SPA) in Mangochi, Catholics were urged to plant more trees and take good care of nature.
District Forestry Officer for Mangochi, Mr. Léonard Kamangadanzi, asked the Church to employ added efforts on care and reservation of trees plated by the diocese each year.
“Its for no use to plant a tree and forget to care for it. The attention paid on trees planted every season expresses true love for nature and the environment. It therefore shocking to realise that only 80% of all the trees planted last years on a diocesan occasion (at Kausi Parish) like this, have not survived. Trees, just like all the living creatures, need care. However, I am delighted to note that this year’s activity has taken place on SPAS grounds where seminarians have a special schedule for manual work. This gives me hope that the survival rate of trees this time may be higher than last year, complying to theme which compels all of us to, “Plant and manage trees, secure water, food and the environment.” he said.
In his remarks, Vicar General of Diocese of Mangochi, Fr. Frank Chingale, invited his audience to a nature consciousness philosophy; and the art of total environmental responsibility since all creatures (man inclusive) are part of the eco-system and naturally live interdependently.
“It is the church’s responsibility to take care creation because the planet we in prefigures the eco-feministic world in which no human being can rule out other creatures. Therefore, let us make the world we live in a common home. A home where all will benefit from the efforts by all,” pleaded Fr. Chingale.
Mangochi South East member of Parliament, Hon. Lillian Patel, asked the district forestry department to diversify enviromental conservation programs by coming with flora species that may respond to man’s needs swiftly and broadly.
Speaking on behalf of Social Development Directorate, Fr. Clement Piluwa concurred with the guest of honor’s sentiments urging the community to take a leading role in ensuring that the surviving trees are cared for. “Nature and the environment pay back when savagely destroyed. In the end man is at loose,” he said.
2019 Diocesan Tree Planting Day was cordially organized by the four arms of Diocese of Mangochi Social Development Directorate which are Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Education Commission and Health Commission with the aim of responding to Pope Francis’ call of May 2015 encyclical entitled Laudato si in which he appealed to “every person living on this planet” for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. Pope Francis calls the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path.
The directorate has planned to plant over 10,000 trees in the 5 deaneries of the diocese this season .
Catholics from St. Augustine Parish, students from St. Monica Girls Secondary School, Ss. Augustine Catholic Primary Schools I, II & III, diocesan working staff and chiefs with subordinates from surrounding villages gathered on the bottom of Chiusi Hills for the activity.