Parish priests in the Diocese of Dedza are attending a formation session organised by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. Speaking when opening the session at Chitsulo Lodge and Conference Centre in Chipoka, Vicar General Fr John Chithonje advised the priests to be agents of evangelisation.
“When the church stops to evangelise, it is no longer a Church. Evangelisation means a good message or good news. It should be good in itself even if not loved by everyone but good for people in all situations” said Chithonje who represented Bishop Peter Chifukwa.
The priests were advised to be in touch with their flock, regularly visiting them in their Small Christian communities. They also need to accompany the youth as they carry out their programmes.
The main topic of the two-day session is “Parish priests as key agents of evangelisation.”
Some of the challenges that parish priests face are the declining number of people receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, parish land encroachment and the transparency around the management of parish finances.