MALAWI: Zomba Diocese Concludes Jubilee of Hope with Diocesan Choir Festival
Fr. Steven Likhucha
The Catholic Diocese of Zomba has sealed off the 2025 Jubilee of Hope in style as the Diocesan Choir Council staged a Diocesan Choir Festival Competition through a composed song on ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, a theme from the Jubilee 2025.
Speaking during the Eucharistic Celebration at Zomba Cathedral, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Zomba, Rt. Rev. Alfred Mateyu Chaima applauded the Choirs that made it to the diocesan level competition and asked them to continue maintaining the Catholic flavour in their singing without forgetting to fuse their voices with local instruments, which is an African identity.
The Bishop was grateful to all the choirs, through the Diocesan Choir Council, for their substantial contributions to the Seminary Fund in 2025. He called for further support for the same fund. He thanked all friends of Zomba Catholic Diocesan Choirs for supporting the Choir Festival Competition and called for transparency from all choral leadership.
The Prelate cautioned the choir members to avoid all elements of decay and decadence that compel the guardians to be reluctant in releasing their wards to join the choirs. He called upon the choir members to be upright and exemplary in their daily dealings.
The Congregation was advised to be filled with faith, to be faithful and humble in their lives, and to act with courage as they serve the Lord, just as John the Baptist did in putting Jesus Christ as the centre of sight rather than himself (cf. Jn. 1: 29-35).
The Diocesan Choir Chaplain, Fr. James Chaweza, thanked the choirs for the sacrifice they made from the beginning of the completion at church, parish, and deanery levels up to the last slot. He emphasized that the aim of the festival was to improve the quality of singing in the diocese and not to find out who is who in terms of singing in the Diocese.
Delivering his remarks, Emmanuel Said, the Diocesan Council Chairperson, bemoaned the disobedience of some Choirs and called upon the Diocesan Authorities to enforce strict measures that would help the choirs to be compliant with the diocesan choral guidelines.
During the actual festival in the hall, some choirs such as St. Mary’s Namitembo, St. Francis Mayaka, St. Therese Women Liwonde, St. Cecilia, and St. Matthews of Zomba Cathedral, St. Faustina of Thondwe, and St. Charles Lwanga stole the hearts of many as silence crept into the hall due to amazing and harmonious singing, eventually inviting ululations and clapping of hands. No wonder some of them scooped excellent positions.
From the Women Category, where 10 choirs competed, St. Therese Choir of Liwonde emerged victorious, with St. Anna Matawale taking the silver medals, and bronze medals went to St. Gabriel of Magomero. In anticipation of the announcement, most of these women danced to the latest tunes, including the song of the moment, ‘ Sindingadziphe’ by St. Agnes Choir of St. John’s Msamba in Lilongwe.
To cap it all, St. Faustina Choir of Thondwe became the 2025 Champions, followed by St. Charles Lwanga, with St. Matthews of Thabwani Zomba Cathedral taking the bronze. St. Therese Main Choir and St. Francis of Mayaka were fourth and fifth, respectively.
With competent judges from Blantyre Archdiocese, Dedza and Mangochi Dioceses, namely Venancio Dunanga, Lawrent Samalani, and Tarcizio Makhonyo respectively, guided by the veteran Chorister Fr. Bernard Katuma, music instructor at Nankhunda Minor Seminary and former Diocesan Choir Chaplain, the choirs accepted all the results with joy and welcomed their corrections for improvement.
Zomba Diocese has over 280 choirs, but only 200 were registered by the end of 2025. The Choirs that did not register are not expected to participate in the liturgy in 2026, should it be approved by the authorities.
