Ad Gentes Missionaries Prepared for Their Special Task
By Benjamin Msowoya
The Pastoral Commission of the Diocese of Karonga has from Wednesday 27 February to Saturday 2nd March oriented 13 Ad Gentes Missionaries.
The orientation exercise, which took place at St Mary’s Parish, targeted the thirteen missionaries selected for the mission. Among the thirteen are twelve men and one woman. The aim of the orientation was to prepare the selected Ad Gentes Missionaries in some crucial areas before they go to their assigned places of mission.
The Ad Gentes Missionaries were oriented in the following areas:
| TOPIC | RESPONSIBLE PERSON |
| What Missio Ad Gentes is | Bishop Martin Mtumbuka |
| Catholic Social Teaching | Monsignor. Denis Chitete |
| Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary | Mr. Ignatius Mvula |
| Basic Church History and Structure | Fr. Joseph Sikwese |
| The Creed | Fr. Joseph Sikwese |
| Introduction to Bible | Mr. Benjamin Msowoya |
| Introduction to Liturgy | Fr. Cyprian Ngoma |
| Basic Social Analysis | Mr. Franklin Msiska |
| Basic Report Writing | Mr. Deodatus Muriya |
| Joint Development of a Checklist and Action Plan for Ad Gentes Missionaries | Mr. Benjamin Msowoya |
The Ad Gentes Missionaries were inspired by several things during their training. One of the most touching factors was the presence of the Bishop, the Vicar General and the Pastoral Secretary among the facilitators of the training.
“This means this missionary task is very serious,” one Ad Gentes Missionary, Mr Julius Simbeye, said when he saw the Bishop joining them during the training, for three consecutive days.
During the training, the Bishop discussed with the Ad Gentes Missionaries on the selected places for mission and assigned them as follows:
| # | Missio Ad Gentes Missionary | Parish and Zone of Residence | Assigned Place for Missio Ad Gentes |
| 1. | James Mwasangwale | St Joseph the Worker | Tcharo (Mlowe zone; St Francis De Sales) |
| 2. | Zachariah Mwafulirwa | St Anne’s; Wovwe | Tcharo (Mlowe zone; St Francis De Sales) |
| 3. | Joel Murwa | St Joseph the Worker | Ngana (Iponga zone; St Stevens) |
| 4. | Donatus Mapunda | St Mary’s | Ngana (Iponga zone; St Stevens) |
| 5. | Peter Mwakihana | St Joseph the Worker; Mpata | Lutusho/Ngisi (Iponga zone; St Stevens) |
| 6. | Matthias Mwambughi | St Michaels; Chisankhwa | Mlowo (St Mary’s) |
| 7. | Charles Chawinga | St Joseph the Worker; Wiliro | Mlowo (St Mary’s) |
| 8. | Barnaba Chawinga | St Stevens; Kasantha | Ntchechenali (Lughali zone; St Mary’s) |
| 9. | Matthias Ng’ambi | St Ignatius; Chisenga | Diyadiya (Thumbo zone; St Ignatius) |
| 10. | Julius Simbeye | St Anne’s; Wovwe | Diyadiya (Thumbo zone; St Ignatius) |
| 11. | Linda (Anna) Kafunda | St Ignatius; Chisenga | Vilangale (Lughali zone; St Mary’s) |
| 12. | Ignatius Mvula | St Mary’s | Musipita (Wovwe zone; St Anne’s) |
| 13. | Benjamin Msowoya | St Mary’s | Chenga (Ngara zone; St Anne’s) |
The Ad Gentes Missionaries are set to go to their assigned places of mission for the first time on 11 March 2019. They will stay and work in their places of mission for up to one month before they report back and regroup for further work in their same assigned places of mission.
The Ad Gentes Missionaries are a special group that the Bishop has tasked to go and evangelize in hard to reach places where there is little or no presence at all of the Catholic Church.
Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of the Diocese of Karonga declared this year (1 December 2018 – 30 November 2019) to be the Diocesan year of Missio Ad Gentes through proclaiming the good news, works of charity and promoting integral justice.