The Bishop-elect, Fr. Chisanga is a Franciscan priest of a religious congregation known as the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. Fr. Chisanga is currently a lecturer of Psychology at St. Bonaventure College in Lusaka’s Makeni Township.
The Diocese of Mansa was vacant since the retirement of Bishop Aaron Chisha on 15 January 2009. Fr. Michael Merizzi, a missionary priest of the White Fathers was the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese. Fr. Merizzi will continue to be in charge of the Diocese of Mansa until the Bishop-elect Fr. Chisanga is ordained a Bishop on a date to be announced.
The Bishop-elect, Fr. Patrick Chilekwa Chisanga was born on the Copperbelt in Kamuchanga, Mufulira on 16 May 1971. He completed his secondary school at the minor seminary of Ndola Diocese in 1990, after school, hejoined the Order of Friars Minor Conventual and upon completion of training as a Franciscan student; studies in philosophy and Theology, Fr. Chisanga was ordained a priest on 27 June 1999 in Ndola.
In 2006, Fr. Chisanga obtained a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy.
Since his ordination as a priest, Fr. Chisanga has served the Church in various capacities as a parish priest, Director of Formation for the Franciscans, in-charge of the Franciscans in Zambiaand as a senior lecturer of Psychology at St. Bonaventure College.
Source: Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC)