ZAMBIA: Pope Francis Appoints Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri Bishop for Ndola Diocese
Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri, the new Bishop of the Diocese of Ndola.
Mwenya Mukuka
Pope Francis has named Rt. Rev. Benjamin Phiri as the Bishop of the Diocese of Ndola.
Pope Francis has made the announcement Friday, 3rd July,2020.
Bishop Benjamin Phiri takes over from Archbishop Dr. Alick Banda who is now the local Ordinary for the Archdiocese of Lusaka.
Bishop Phiri who has been serving as Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata since 2011, was born on 14 June 1959 in Petauke District in the Diocese of Chipata.
After his studies at the Minor Seminary in Monze Diocese, he studied Philosophy at St. Augustine Seminary, Kabwe, and Theology at St. Dominic’s Major Seminary, Lusaka. He was ordained to the priesthood on 14 September 1986 for the Diocese of Chipata.
Among his assignments after ordination, he served as director of vocations, parish priest, director of Chikungu Pastoral Centre in Chipata Diocese.
After completing his studies in Canon Law, he served as National Director of the Pastoral Office of the Zambian Bishops’ Conference (2002–2004) and rector of St. Dominic’s Major Seminary in Lusaka from 2004.
Bishop Phiri was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata on 18 January 2011 with the titular see of Nachingwea.
Rt. Rev. Benjamin is member of the University Council of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), representing the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).
