ZAMBIA: Bishop of Ndola Encourages Collective Approach in 2024-2028 Strategic Plan Implementation
Sandra Kunda
The Catholic Diocese of Ndola has unveiled a comprehensive strategic plan, outlining its roadmap for the years 2024-2028.
The initiative was formally launched at the Catholic Diocese of Ndola pastoral offices, Zambia, with His Lordship Bishop Benjamin Phiri who addressed on the significance of the strategic blueprint.
The Local Ordinary of Ndola emphasized the crucial role of the strategic plan in guiding the Diocese towards achieving its goals and ensuring operational adherence to established guidelines as he expressed that his vision is to see the diocese become self-reliant, by reducing dependence on external resources for its activities.
The strategic plan encompasses seven key thematic areas which include pastoral care, witnessing, administration and finance, communications, holy childhood, youths, men and women, and sustainability.
The collaborative effort to come up with the strategic plan involved input from various cooperating partners and extensive consultations.
Bishop Phiri called upon all members of the diocese to foster a spirit of unity, selflessness, and sacrifice to realize the strategic plan’s objectives collectively.
He further stressed that the success of the plan depends on the cooperation of the entire diocese.
In a significant announcement, His Lordship also introduced the launch of a safeguarding policy for the diocese saying that policy aims to ensure that all individuals within the diocesan institutions are treated with due respect and accorded their rights and freedoms at workplaces, aligning with the organization’s statutes.
Quoting the principle of justice, Bishop Phiri stated, “Justice demands that we should be treating others the way we want them to treat us.”
He highlighted the international standards compliance of both the strategic plan and the safeguarding policy and urged everyone within the Diocese to familiarize themselves with the two documents, emphasizing the need for a collective commitment to implementing changes.
Additionally, the Bishop encouraged the priests to simplify the documents for parishioners for enhanced understanding.
The Catholic Diocese of Ndola comprises of ten Vicariates: Bwana Mkubwa, Ndola, Luanshya, Kamfinsa, Nkana, Kitwe, Kalulushi, Mufulira, Chingola, and Chililabombwe, boasts a significant Catholic population estimated at 909,470 spread across 86 parishes.
