MALAWI: Catholic Secretariat Welcomes New Secretary General

The Catholic
Secretariat of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) on 4th
September officially welcomes the new Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Dr. Henry
Saindi at an event to be held at Bishop Nervi’s garden within the secretariat.

A number of
dignitaries including the donor partners, government officials and the media
have been invited and Archbishop Tarcisius Ziyaye of Lilongwe Archdiocese and
also Bishop Chairman for Catholic Secretariat will be the guest of honor and
will give a key note address.

According to
the Deputy Secretary General, Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo, Catholic Secretariat
values the cordial relationship that exists between different organizations and
partners hence an invitation extended to them to this dinner.

Other
activities lined up include speeches by the deputy secretary general, the new
secretary general and presentation of gifts.

Chairman for
the organizing committee, Carstens Mulume said during the event, the Catholic
Secretariat will bid farewell to the members of staff who have left in the
recent time.

Rev. Fr. Dr.
Saindi was appointed by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi Secretary General on
June 17, 2015 replacing Fr. George Buleya who is now the Vice Chancellor for
Catholic University in Malawi.

The 42-year-old
Mangochi diocese priest was ordained in 2000 and worked as the director of
Radio Maria Malawi between 2001 and 2009, before going to study a Bachelor’s
Degree in Social Sciences at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy
from 2009 to 2011.

He further
pursued a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences with specialization in Social
Communications. He has just finished his Doctorate in Social Communications.

Meanwhile
Fr. Saindi has announced the appointment of Mr. Carsterns Mulume, the National
Secretary for Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) as the
Director of Social Development which falls under the new strategic framework
that ECM is undertaking.

Other
announcements made include the confirmation of Mrs Bertha Magomero who has been
acting as National Health Secretary, now National Health Secretary and accounts
officer, Anthony Chekani, renewal of contracts for Fr. Emmanuel Chimombo as
Pastoral Director and Deputy Secretary General respectively, Catholic
Commission for Justice and Peace Elita Yobe, Education Commission’s Steve
Ndlovu and Communications Commission’s Prince Henderson.

“As part of
the process of integration of Communications, the Strategic Framework proposes
the position of Director of Social Development. In this case, we shall only
have three Directorates: Pastoral headed by the National Pastoral Director,
Administration, Finance and Investment headed by the DOFIA and Social
Development headed by the Director of Social Development,” said Fr. Saindi when
he announced the development on Friday during morning assembly at Catholic
Secretariat’s board room.

He said
following this development, Commissions like CADECOM/Caritas, CCJP, Health,
Education and Social Communications will now be under the Social Development
directorate.

“I take this
occasion to thank him (Mr. Mulume) for his acceptance of the offer of
appointment as well as congratulate him for his new position. I ask all the
commissions under his directorate to rally behind him and support the
integration plan he will soon present as a proposal,” he said.

By Prince Henderson, ECM Communications
Officer