CATHOLIC WOMEN ORGANIZATION CELEBRATES GOLDEN JUBILEE IN MALAWI
22nd of July 2023: The Catholic Women Organization (CWO) in Malawi today commemorated 50 years of existence at a ceremony that begun with a holy eucharistic mass.
Thousands of CWO members clad in regalia exclusively for the day, filled Civo Stadium in Lilongwe to the brim in a historic celebration attended by some members who were there when the organisation begun in 1972 led by Fr. Allan Changwera (now bishop emeritus of Zomba diocese) at St. Pius Parish in the Archdiocese of Blantyre.
Professor Ngeyi Kanyongolo, who was guest of honour, was grateful to God for CWO founders who responded positively to the Church call after the Second Vatican Council for the laity to bring women together in this fashion.
“As we look forward with hope and determination,” she said “we need to ask ourselves crucial questions as to whether we are really growing or retarding spiritually. Can we really say we have grown in synodality?
“Are we embracing everyone on this journey of faith or we are leaving others behind?”
Quoting Pope Francis, she reminded that women form the fabric of the Church as they support each other and practice transparency among themselves especially at every leadership level.
Professor Kanyongolo also highlighted the need for women empowerment within and outside the Church for the establishment of a generation that is able to combat poverty and spur development.
In his remarks, His Lordship Bishop Martin Anwell Mtumbuka who is the bishop chairman for pastoral commission at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) challenged the women to emulate the women of the Bible who questioned one another as to who would remove the stone at the tomb of Jesus.
“As a nation, we are facing the stone of poverty which is enhanced by the poor and clueless leadership….as we advance to 2025 elections, we need you women to step up, taking a leading role to fight this stone of poverty,” said the bishop of Karonga.
Turning to liturgy, bishop Mtumbuka warned the laity at large, women in particular, against changing the approach to mass reminding that: “the Mass is not entertainment. We must come to mass to pray not to joke and entertain ourselves. We must thoroughly be prepared and dispose ourselves in such a way that we are in the presence of God”.
On his part, Archbishop George Desmond Tambala, said the ECM would support the women in the Church. He said ECM is working to produce a handbook guide on the spirituality of the Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) and CWO.
Catholic Women Organization of Mozambique and Tanzania led by Evaline Ntenga who is World Union of Catholic Organization, Africa region president.