ZAMBIA: Chilubula Mission Commemorates 125 Years of Existence in Zambia
Archbishop Ignatius Chama during Eucharistic Celebration
By Sandra Kunda
A parish in Kasama’s Archdiocese, in Zambia’s Northern Province recently commemorated 125 years since the missionaries set foot in the area.
His Grace Archbishop of Kasama Ignatius Chama, in the company of Rt. Rev. Patrick Chisanga, Bishop of Mansa and Emeritus Rt. Rev. Aaron Chisha graced the occasion.
Archbishop Chama blessed the historical plaque where the first missionaries, Moto-Moto, and his companions, rested when they reached Chilubula and planted trees to mark the event.
Chilubula Mission was founded in 1899 by Father Joseph Dupont of the White Fathers Missionary Society.
Before the arrival of Father Dupont, Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba people of Northern Zambia was initially opposed to any missionaries operating and establishing in his territory.
Father Dupont had first arrived at Mambwe Mission, to the north of Bemba territory, and worked to learn a great deal about Bemba culture and tradition.
Eventually, some of the other Bemba chiefs allowed Father Dupont to start a mission at Chilubula, nearby modern-day Kasama.
The mission includes a huge church, erected between 1899-1909, with substantial Roman influence demonstrated by many Roman semicircular arches.
It has been compared to a citadel because of its strength, and during the First World War, it served as a refuge for people fleeing the fighting between German and British forces.
The site celebrates its founding by Father Dupont, with a marker identifying the location where he first pitched his tent at Chilubula under a Musashi tree, along with his dedication of the site.
The Mission continues to serve the local people with a hospital on the site and St. Theresa Girl’s Secondary School.
ENDS…
