Luke Bisani
A Catholic Couple in the Archdiocese of Blantyre has challenged the Church to consider entrepreneurship in raising funds for the affairs of the Church.
Speaking during a fundraising Dinner and Dance on Friday 26th November, 2021 that aimed at raising funds for priestly formation of seminarians in the major seminaries, a guest couple at the event urged authorities to eye entrepreneurship in generating financial resources for the Church needs.
Phocus Muhire, with his wife, who were the guest couple together at the event stressed on the need to utilize on the resource that the Church has in coming up with entrepreneurship ideas.
“For example, the Church does collect maize from Christians after harvest as part of their thanks giving to the Church; we can set up a factory to process that maize, pack it and have it on the market and have funds for our seminaries,” said Muhire.
Muhire added that the Church should consider involving the Christians who have the technical expertise in coming up with more sustainable ways of generating funds for the affairs of the Archdiocese.
Meanwhile, the Vicar General for the Archdiocese Father Boniface Tamani said that training of future priests is one budget item that demands attention for the Church to grow.
Father Tamani further disclosed that the Archdiocese of Blantyre is mandated to pay approximately $900 US dollars (seven hundred thousand Malawi Kwacha) per annum for each seminarian.
“This is where you come in. Christ needs you to do his work, he needs you to train his priests, please share the resources. It is He, the Lord of the Universe who has given you,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of the Archdiocese of Blantyre, Bishop George Lungu of Chipata Diocese in Zambia commended Catholics in the Archdiocese for their generosity towards formation of priests.
Bishop Lungu urged Christians who graced the occasion to work on having a self-reliant Church in the country.
This year the Archdiocese of Blantyre has 53 major seminarians at Kachebere Major Seminary and St Peters Major Seminary and is expected to pay a total of over $45,000 US dollars (thirty-seven million Malawi Kwacha) in tuition fees.
