ZAMBIA: Couples for Christ Lauded for Donation to Children’s Institution
Fr. Wilbroad Musonda
A Catholic nun in Solwezi Diocese, Sr. Mary Kabwe Mwango CSBJ, has lauded members of the Couples for Christ (CFC) movement for their donation to Cheshire Homes in Solwezi, Zambia, which is needed for rehabilitation of the children’s institution.
In her remarks last month, Sr. Mwango who is the Sister In-charge of the institution expressed her gratitude for the gesture by the CFC members.
She appeals to the community and stakeholders to come on board and render any help that can contribute to the good health and wellness of the children.
While thanking the CFC members for their donation to Cheshire Homes and appealing to the community and people of goodwill to come on board to help through donations in food and monetary forms Sr. Mwango said, “I am making an earnest appeal to people out there to come on board and help us in many ways they can afford would it be in food or money forms in many ways.”
The CFC members donated assorted foodstuffs and hygienic detergents with the aim for the community members to flourish and grow in their Christian life anchored on relationships and friendship between couples in a respective family.
“As Couple for Christ, we always start the year with an activity of thanksgiving,” said the leader of CFC Solwezi Unit Mr. Joel Chavez who added, “We pray so that God bless us in our plans, our livelihoods, our children and especially for the community Couples for Christ so that we continue to flourish and grow.”
He further encouraged the CFC members to participate in monthly Zoom meeting teaching which is hosted by different countries and is vital in nourishing their Christian faith for the good and deep-seated faith of Christian families in the society.
Speaking at the same occasion, the CFC-Solwezi Unit chairperson Mr. Kasonde Zimba underscored that the CFC community members were elated about the visit and donation made to children. Mr. Zimba added that the children’s expression of smiles exemplifies their happiness which obliged the CFC community to pay a visit and donate to the children in need.
The wife to the Head of CFC-Solwezi Unit Mrs. Bing Chavez who is a teacher and Missionary Volunteer for CFC in her sharing of the experience of the visit and donation to Cheshire Homes-Solwezi said that no man is an island an expression meaning that CFC as an ecclesia organization cannot carry out the alone pastoral ministry that is aimed at enriching couples and the family.
“I just want to share about the activity”, with reference to the visit and donation to Cheshire Homes for physical children” Bing continues “I am humbled by this experience and I am happy also with the presence of Fr. Wilbroad-our CFC Chaplain-”, emphasizing that “My reflection is that no man meaning to say this organization (CFC) establishment even the Couples for Christ.
We cannot do it by our own. We need each other”. Succinctly Bing summarized her experience to the visit and donation to Cheshire with the phrase “Do Everything in Love” translating that one has to give to the needy in underprivileged without an itch of any spot of thought of expecting any return”, Bing added.
The Couples for Christ (CFC) is an international Catholic lay ecclesial movement whose goal is to renew and strengthen Christian values. It is one of 123 International Associations of the Faithful.
The organization is linked to the Vatican through the Pontifical Council for the Laity and is led by an International Council based in the Philippines under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. The community consists of family ministries, social arms, and anti-abortion ministries.
Couples for Christ (CFC) was established in 1981 by the charismatic community Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (LNP; Filipino for “The Joy of the Lord”) in Manila. Its target groups were primarily married couples, inviting prospective couples to a private home for a series of weekly gospel discussions.
Since 1993, CFC had also started other demographic-specific groups, including “Kids for Christ,” “Youth for Christ,” “Singles for Christ,” “Handmaids of the Lord” and “Servants of the Lord.”
In 1996, CFC was approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines as a National Private Association of Lay Faithful and recognized in 2000 by the Holy See as a private international association of the lay faithful of Pontifical Right.
CFC is present in dioceses across all 81 Philippine provinces and 163 countries among them in Zambia’s Catholic Diocese of Solwezi. It sent participants to the Extraordinary Synod on the Family organized by Pope Francis in 2014.
