By Luntha Television
On Tuesday, 31st March 2026, the priests and lay faithful of the Diocese of the Catholic Diocese of Dedza had their Chrism Mass at Holy Family (Bembeke) Cathedral. During this Mass, Rt. Rev. Peter Adrian Chifukwa blessed and consecrated three oils: Chrism Oil, Oil for the Sick and Oil for Catechumens.
In his homily, Bishop Chifukwa urged the priests to remember their role and mission. He admonished them to be close to their flock. Drawing inspiration from Luke 4:16-21, the Local Ordinary asked the priests to look at Jesus as their highest model.
The Prelate noted that, “Jesus, the High Priest, shared his priesthood with his Priests so that the Christians can be taken care of. Without the Christians, the Priesthood is meaningless. Priests, though unworthy, are supposed to take care of the Christians.”
He emphasised that Jesus was staying in the group of people in order to encourage them with His Priesthood. Priests, too, following the example of the High Priest, need to be together with the Christians. Christians should always be in the mind of the priests. These Christians are a group of people who face different problems- mental health problems, financial constraints, captivity, spiritual blindness, physical and spiritual deafness and all problems of the world that weigh their hearts down. Priests are called to take care of these people with dedication and total sacrifice. These people need to be helped to see things that matter so that they should not go astray.
In his speech, Diocesan Laity Council Chairperson, Mr. Godfrey Nkhakanaga, thanked all the priests for their timeless service amidst many challenges. He further called upon the Christians to support their Priests in their pastoral work.
On behalf of all the priests, Fr. Andrew Mtendere thanked the Bishop for being present at this Eucharistic Celebration. He said the presence of the Bishop among priests reminds them of the work of a Good Shepherd. He thanked the Bishop also for all the fatherly support and care given to the clergy in the diocese of Dedza. He reminded the priests of their collaborative role among themselves and the Bishop. He wished this amicable relationship to continue so that the Diocese would progress. He also asked all the priests to love each other so that the Christians can see that they are servants of God. He also asked the Christians to give good pieces of advice to their Priests when they are wrong for the good of the Church.
The Bishop finally thanked the faithful for the gift of their presence. He thanked the CMA choir that came from Ntcheu Parish. He invited the Christians to the Quasquicentennial Anniversary of Nzama Parish. He thanked the priests for coming in their large numbers and wished them a great celebration for their special day.