Malawi to Celebrate World Mission Sunday Centenary with Msgr. Nguyen as Guest of Honour
Lilongwe, Malawi – 25 September 2026: The Catholic Church in Malawi is preparing to gather at Mzuzu Stadium on Saturday, 3 October 2026, for the National Centenary Celebration of World Mission Sunday under the theme “One in Christ, United in Mission.”
The celebration will form part of a wider programme of activities being organised by the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) Malawi to mark the centenary of World Mission Sunday. It follows the Formation Course for Formators of Minor and Major Seminaries in Malawi, which took place at St Peter Major Seminary in the Diocese of Zomba, and will continue a series of missionary and pastoral activities being undertaken by PMS Malawi during the centenary year.
Msgr. Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union, will arrive in Malawi on 30 September 2026 for a pastoral and missionary visit undertaken on behalf of the Holy Father through the Pontifical Mission Societies. Upon his arrival, he will proceed to Katete Parish, where he will take part in the Eucharistic celebration marking the opening of World Mission Month in Malawi.
The opening celebration at Katete will officially launch the month-long missionary activities leading to the National Centenary Celebration of World Mission Sunday. Msgr. Nguyen’s presence will provide an important link between the Church in Malawi, the Holy Father and the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Rome.
The celebration at Mzuzu Stadium will bring together all the bishops of Malawi, together with representatives of the faithful from all the dioceses of the country, including priests, religious sisters and brothers, and lay Christians. Their participation will be a visible expression of the unity and missionary communion of the Catholic Church in Malawi.
The main celebrant of the Eucharistic celebration will be Rt. Rev. Peter Chifukwa, while Msgr. Nguyen will be the Guest of Honour, representing the Holy Father and the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Rome.
His presence will highlight the communion between the Church in Malawi, the Holy Father and the universal Church, while strengthening missionary collaboration between the Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi and the International Secretariat in Rome.
Msgr. Nguyen’s visit will also include a number of missionary and pastoral engagements in different dioceses. As part of these activities, he will take part on 7 October 2026 in the One Million Children Praying the Rosary for Peace and Unity, joining children across Malawi in prayer under the motto “Children Praying for Children.” His participation will highlight the important role of children in the missionary life of the Church and their contribution to prayer for peace, unity and the needs of children throughout the world.
Preparations for the national celebration are already at an advanced stage, with approximately 85 percent of the arrangements completed. Organisers are working with the diocesan PMS offices through the National Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies to ensure that all dioceses are represented at this historic national celebration.
ADCOM to Launch Five-Year Strategic Plan
In a further expression of collaboration in mission, the celebration will also provide an opportunity for the Association of the Diocesan Clergy of Malawi (ADCOM) to launch its five-year Strategic Plan for 2026–2030.
The strategic plan will provide a framework for ADCOM’s activities and priorities over the next five years, strengthening collaboration, fraternity and the missionary commitment of the diocesan clergy in Malawi.
The 3 October celebration will therefore be a significant moment within the wider 2026 PMS Malawi programme, bringing together the bishops, clergy, religious and laity from across Malawi to commemorate the centenary of World Mission Sunday and renew their commitment to the missionary vocation of the Church.
Following the Formation Course for Formators at St Peter Major Seminary in the Diocese of Zomba, the National Centenary Celebration of World Mission Sunday will serve as another major national expression of the missionary formation, animation and collaboration promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi throughout the centenary year.
The celebration will also lead into further missionary activities during the visit of Msgr. Nguyen, including the One Million Children Praying the Rosary for Peace and Unity on 7 October. Through these activities, PMS Malawi will continue to promote missionary prayer, formation, animation and universal solidarity among Catholics across the country.
The centenary celebration will thus bring together formation, prayer, communion and missionary action, reflecting the missionary vocation of the Church and the role of the Pontifical Mission Societies in animating the missionary spirit of Catholics and promoting universal solidarity in mission.
One in Christ, United in Mission.