By: Demetria Banda
Dedza Diocese’s Director for Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS) Fr Peter Madeya has made an impassioned appeal to children in Dedza to read the Bible and preach what they have read in the Sacred Scriptures.
He made these remarks on Sunday the 10th day of January 2021 during the launching mass of Bible distribution project to children at St Francis Parish Mikoke where 245 Bibles were distributed to children.
“We encourage children to read and preach what they have read in the Bible everyday in order for them to live a holy life. Children have the responsibility and capacity to fulfil Jesus Christ’s mandate “Go and proclaim the gospel to the world” (Mark 10:15; Mathew 28:19), said Fr Madeya.
According to Fr Madeya, the Bible distribution project was funded by Pontifical Missionary Society in Rome to give children a chance to know the word of God.
“This is a project of the PMS office in Dedza funded by PMS in Rome, to give an opportunity to the parishes in the Diocese of Dedza to buy the Bible for children. Children are getting the Bibles at a subsidised price of MK750 (1 United States dollar). The aim of the project is to give chance to the children in the Diocese to know and love the word of God by reading the Bible in their families,” explained Fr Madeya.
PMS said they have just started distributing the Bibles with one Christian community and they are expecting to continue until all the 100 communities receive copies up until all the 700 families benefit.
“We have started with one centre today and then all the centres will be given a chance to get the Bibles. That will be the end of actual project of bible distribution,” said Fr Madeya
The parish priest for St Francis Parish Mikoke Fr Sinjo has expressed his gratitude to PMS for the project,
“I thank PMS in the diocese of Dedza for this project because it will help more children and parents who were not able to afford the actual price of Bible at the market. I am however encouraging the children to read, take care and preach the word of God,” said Fr Sinjo.
The project will benefit over 3,500 children from different families; 100 small Christian communities; 700 families. Each small Christian Community selected 7 children below the age of 15 to be the beneficiaries of the project.