14 Diocesan Deacons from six Catholic Dioceses under the Episcopal Conference of Malawi ECM) will this year add up the number of Priests in the country as they will be ordained in their respective dioceses.
Lilongwe and Blantyre Archdioceses, Mangochi, Zomba, Dedza and Chikwawa dioceses are the ones that are set to produce new priests.
Fr. Francis Lekaleka, the Bishop Secretary for Lilongwe Archdiocese says 3 Deacons namely: Demetrio Banda, John Kaliwamba and Dennis Mwanza are set to be ordained Priests on July 15,2017 at Maula Cathedral in Lilongwe. Archbishop Tarcisius Ziyaye will lead the Holy Eucharist Celebration.
In the Archdiocese of Blantyre, Fr. Frank Mwinganyama who is the Diocesan Communication Secretary says Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa will on July 8,2017 ordain 2 Deacons namely Deacon Blessings Maere and Faduweck Katunga of Mtepuwa and Chiringa Parishes respectively. The setting is Limbe Cathedral.
From Dedza Diocese, Deacon Gift Selemani, Paul Kunkumbira and Silvester Mtasa will be ordained as Priests on July 29,2017.
According to the Diocesan Communications Secretary for Dedza, Fr. Henry Makawa, His Lordship Emmanuel Kanyama who will ordain the three priests at Mtendere Parish will on the same day ordain three Seminarians of the Holy Ghost Congregation. The Seminarians are Brother Andrew Kasiya, John Luwani and Francisco Ndelemani.
Elsewhere in Chikwawa Diocese, three Deacons will also be ordained by Bishop Peter Musikuwa at a Eucharistic Celebration to take place at St. Michiel’s Chikwawa Cathedral on July 22,2017. The three Deacons are Tobias Mbalale , Shadreck Malata,all from Chikwawa Parish and James Chidale from Njale Parish.
Mangochi Diocese has two Deacons namely; Kondwani Matupa and Andrew Kasambara. On the same day, according to Fr. Emmanuel Malipa, the Diocesan Communications Secretary says Fr. Lazarus Girevulo will celebrating his Silver Jubilee in Priesthood. The Celebration which will be led by the Holy Mass to be presided over by His Lordship Montfort Sitima will take place at St. Augustine, Mangochi Cathedral on July 8,2017.
Finally,Zomba Diocese is set to ordain one Deacon whose name is Andrew Chikapa of Mayaka Parish.The ordination is slated for July 22,2017 at Zomba Cathedral and Bishop George Tambala will lead the Holy Mass.
Karonga and Mzuzu Dioceses are the only ones that will not ordain any diocesan priests.