Church in Malawi Underscores the Importance of Investing in Children

Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) || ECM Communications || 10 August 2015

The Director for Pontifical Missionaries Society at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa has described Early Childhood Centres (ECDs) as crucial in ensuring that children grow holistically with both body and spirit.

Fr. Mwakhwawa was speaking during a graduation ceremony of children in the kindergarten and primary classes at St. John the Baptist Convent School in area 47, Lilongwe and is run by sisters of St. John the Baptist congregation.

Fr. Mwakhwawa said children are a gift from God to us hence there is a need to ensure the integral development of them and at the same time they (children) should not be under rated.

“When God give us children, he expects us that we will care and love them so that they grow and become what God wants of them. Make sure that your children have good spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical development,” said Fr. Mwakhwawa.

He challenged parents, guardians and teachers to ensure that they treat children as human beings that are made of body and spirit.

“They have to develop as sense of Divine such that they have to learn how to pray and how to fear God and of course how to love and serve in their church,” said Fr. Mwakhwawa adding that “children need to develop moral and human characters; love, respect, care of creation, sympathy, generosity and other general human character”.

Sister Lucy Banda, Head teacher of the school said she was delighted to have such a conversion institution which apart from the academic teaching they have, children are also prepared well in terms of their spiritual life.

Bishop challenges Catholic Children to deepen their faith in prayer

Meanwhile, the head of the Catholic Church in Chikwawa diocese, His Lordship Bishop Peter Musikuwa has challenged Catholic children to deepen their faith in prayer and charity hence being generous with the little gifts they have in the society.

Bishop Musikuwa was speaking at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Chikwawa to thousands of children drawn from all the parishes in the diocese at a Holy Childhood Mass celebration for the diocese on Saturday (July 24, 2015).

“As a young Church, Malawi has and still receives faith and other material gifts from fellow children from others countries. It is time for you now, children of Malawi to learn and take an active role in the life and mission of the Church,” said Bishop Musikuwa during his homily to the children.

Bishop Musikuwa said as a way of ensuring generosity, children must to love their friends by among others; pray for them and share the little resources just like the apostles of Jesus did.

He said in such doing, God will reward them as “God reward those that share with others the little they have”.
National Director for Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa in his remarks said the national office has put in place plans to train more children counselors and care-giver as a way of making sure that children grow both body and soul.

Fr. Mwakhwawa commended Bishop Musikuwa and the diocesan PMS director, Fr. Ignatio Yohane for working tirelessly in making sure that children’s welfare in the diocese is well taken care of.

“Let me thank you, your Lordship for the love you have on children. It appears your heart is on children based on the support you render to them. This is commendable indeed as the future of both the Church and the nation at large lies in these children,” said Fr. Mwakhwawa.

Speaking of behalf of fellow children, eleven year old Precious Bonzo of Nkhate Parish appealed to the Bishop to deliberately open up an office in the diocese where children will be comfortable to seek protection on several forms of abuses they normally experience in their respective communities.

He challenged his fellow children in the Catholic Church to love and respect parents and the elderly hence love their church by among others participating in Church activities like serving mass on the Otter, cheering the seek and the elderly and joining church groups.

During the Holy Mass which was celebrated by Bishop Musikuwa, all the proceedings were handled by the children themselves. For instance, Alice Nthali and Desmond Mlambe read out the first and second readings of the word of God respectively.