MALAWI: Cardinal Filoni to Consecrate Karonga Cathedral
The New Cathedral of Karonga Diocese, St. Joseph the Worker
By Prince Henderson, ECM Communications Officer
St. Joseph the Worker
All is set for the consecration of the newly built St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral of Karonga Diocese, one of the eight dioceses of the Catholic Church in Malawi on Saturday, November 5. The Confirmation was made by the publicity secretary of the organizing committee and spokesperson of the Diocese of Karonga Rev. Fr. Joseph Sikwese.
A cross section of people including His Eminence Fernando Cardinal Filoni, who will be the main celebrant for the Eucharistic celebration, the Apostolic Nuncio to Malawi and Zambia Most Rev. Julio Murat, Archbishops and Bishops have been invited. President of the Republic of Malawi Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika and his Deputy Saulosi Chilima have also been invited.
“Cardinal Filoni who is the Prefect of Propaganda Fide comes to the Diocese of Karonga as the special envoy of Pope Francis,” said Fr. Sikwese.
According to Fr. Sikwese, the Diocese of Karonga was created on 21 July 2010 and St. Mary’s Parish was declared the Cathedral but unfortunately it was damaged by a series of earthquakes in 2009 and early 2010.
Bishop of Karonga
“The Church was abandoned because it was a dangerous death-trap. Another site for the Cathedral was identified at Iyegha, about 5 kilometers to the west of St. Mary’s Parish, along the Karonga-Chitipa road. Iyegha was under Chaminade Outstation. Meanwhile St. Anne’s Parish is being used as the Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Karonga,” he said.
Fr. Sikwese said construction of the Cathedral Church began in November 2012 and every Catholic Christian was asked to contribute one brick to the project which was successfully done.
Prefect of Propaganda Fides
According to Fr. Sikwese, construction of the Cathedral has been made possible with financial assistance from Propaganda Fide, the Coppel family of Mexico, Church in Need, Archdiocese of Indinapolis in the United States of America, the Archdiocese of Cologne in Germany and the Diocese of Jombe in Tanzania.
The Church has the capacity of 1000 people and the motto of the Cathedral is: Deus Providebit.
Karonga diocese has six Parishes and with the coming in of the new Cathedral, there will be seven. Sixteen priests are available in the diocese. The ordinary of the diocese is Rt. Rev. Martin Mtumbuka.
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