DIOCESAN NEWSLETTER
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LIVINGSTONE
Vol. No. 3 April to June, 2011
Time to heal and restore our
broken world
I n a few weeks’ time, we shall be celebrating Easter, the
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a preparation for that
great event, when Christ defeated the power of sin and death, we
have been journeying together during the Lenten Season. Indeed
Lent is an opportunity to spend more time in prayer and to reflect
on the areas of our lives which need to be transformed and ask
our Merciful God for the Grace to change. We reflect on the
chains that bind and imprison people. The purpose of our Lenten
prayers, fasting and almsgiving is to help break those chains and
hasten the coming of the Kingdom of God, of healing, justice and
freedom.
During Lent many individuals, the lay faithful, religious
communities, Small Christian Communities, and Parishes have
intensified their union with the Lord through days of recollection
and retreat. Through these Spiritual Exercises, we have prayed ,
and we still pray, for various needs; perhaps a particular person,
group of persons, or situation with which we may wish to be in
solidarity with others during the Lenten season. The mystery of
God is here – now – in solidarity with those who suffer.
At every moment of our existence, God is present to us in
gentle compassion. As the Benedictine Monks of Weston Priory
state, may we be present to one another so that our presence, may
be a strength that heals the wounds of time, that heals and restores
our broken world and gives hope that is for all persons.
As we continue our journey through Lent, the Merciful
God, strengths us in our struggle against evil. He helps us to put
on the mind and heart of Christ that we might recognise and repent
of all that interferes with loving and serving others. May the Holy
Spirit teach us how to live as true disciples on our journey to
transformation and fullness of life.
Happy Easter 2011!
Lenten Fund and Good Friday
Collection for the Holy Land
A
reminder to all in the diocese about Lenten Fund and Good
Friday Collection for the Holy Land.
The collections are important because they are a practical
expression of our observance of Lent: a special time of good
works, prayer and fasting as a preparation for Easter.
Secondly, through the two collections, we express our
love for our poor brothers and sisters in the diocese, through
the Lenten financial contributions and for the Christians in the
Land of the Lord Jesus, through the Good Friday collection. The
Christians in the Holy Land are a small minority. They need our
help; they need our Prayers.
Please give generously to the Lenten Fund, and on Good
Friday, for the Christians in the Holy land. §
Farewell to Sr. Lourdes
S
r. Mary Lourdes. Suvisesha Muthu, FSPM returns home to
India, after 11 years of undivided service at Sichili Mission
Hospital. During her time in the Diocese, Sr. Lourdes served as
Sichili Mission Hospital Administrator and Person–In-Charge
of Finances for the CRS-AIDS Relief Project at the Hospital.
She also once rendered service at Maramba Old People’s Home
in Livingstone. We wish her the Lord’s blessing in her future
endeavor. §
PMS Trains Parish Animators
“M issionary formation is the task of the local Church,
informing and forming the People of God to share
in the Church’s universal mission.” These challenging and
encouraging words by Pope John Paul II in the encyclical
“Redemptoris Missio”, no. 83 of 1990, inspired the Diocesan
Animation Team of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) to
conduct a training seminar for parish animators.
The seminar took place on Saturday, 12th February, 2011,
at Maria Regina - Linda Parish Hall. Participants were drawn from
St. Theresa’s Cathedral, Our Lady of Angels, Christ the King -
Maramba, St. Francis - Dambwa, Maria Regina - Linda, St. Peter's
- Airport, St. Joseph's - Mukuni, Holy Childhood - Makunka and
St. Thomas Apostle's - Musokotwane.
The topics tackled included: Introduction to the PMS,
The Mission of the Lay Faithful and Resource Mobilization
Initiatives. The three material-areas were facilitated by Fr. Imasiku
Ngalama (PMS Director), Fr. Kebby Luwaya (Livingstone Dean)
and Mr. Gerald Yambani (Diocesan Treasurer), respectively.
Some of the resolutions/recommendations drawn-up by
the participants included:
• to disseminate and implement all that was shared;
• to photocopy and distribute to S.C.C.’s all the material
handed out during the seminar; 1
• trained animators to work with Parish Priests to prioritize
PMS in parish pastoral programmes;
• trained animators to identify animators for all the four societies
of PMS in the parishes & train them.
It is our prayer that the PMS seed that is being sowed in
the diocese will bear the much desired evangelization fruits at all
levels. §
2011 Vocation Sunday
S ince the year 1963, the Universal Church has been celebrating
the Fourth Sunday of Easter as the World Day of Prayer for
Vocations or Vocation Sunday. This year, it will be commemorated on
15th May, 2011. The theme carefully chosen by Pope Benedict XVI is
“Proposing Vocations in the Local Church”.
On this day, we pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out
labourers into his plentiful harvest (Matthew 9:36-3). In his message
for this celebration, the Pope challenges us to embrace a form of prayer
that leads us to take action, by making personal contact with children
and youths, and proposing vocations to them in our communities. He
outlines a simple approach in this endeavor: prayer, invitation to the
young at heart to become friends of Jesus, explaining to them how
Jesus invites them to immerse themselves in God’s will and assuring
them that to accept to be a friend of Jesus is to accept to enter into an
experience of love.
Whose responsibility is it to propose vocations in the Local
Church? The Holy Father clearly responds in his message: “…every
Christian community, every member of the Church, needs consciously
to feel responsibility for promoting vocations. It is important to
encourage and support those who show clear signs of a call to priestly
life and religious consecration…”
The Church, through the Society of St. Peter Apostle of PMS,
takes up collections in all parishes of the world on Vocation Sunday for
support to Seminaries and Novitiates in mission territories. Therefore,
give generously on this day for the formation of prospective priests
and religious.
Happy Vocation Sunday!§
 World Day of Social Communication Goings and Comings
W
On 24th January 2011, on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, Patron of Communicators, e welcome the following to the Diocese:
the Vatican released the letter for the 45th World Day of Social Communication, which
will be observed on 5th June 2011. The letter is titled TRUTH, PROCLAMATION AND 1. Elena Colombo and Richard Sonsino
(Italian Volunteers) - They are on one-
AUTHENTICITY OF LIFE IN THE DIGITAL AGE. Some key points from the Holy year placement at the YCTC.
Father include: 2. Fr. Natun Wendefredus, SVD - Back
from Home leave in Indonesia.
1. New Technologies are changing the way we communicate and communication itself. 3. Sr. Mary Nirmala, FSPM - Back from
2. New Technologies should be placed at the service of the Integral good of the individual Home Leave in India.
4. Mr. Giuseppe Damiano - Back from Short
and the whole humanity. break in Italy.
3. Beware of the limits of Digital ZEC Pastoral Solidarity 5. Fr. Pamphilius Ngowi, C.S.Sp. - Back
Statement from Home leave in Tanzania
Communication, i.e.: 6. Fr. Louis Matthew, SVD - Back from
a) One-sidedness of interaction
O n 6 February 2011, the Catholic Bishops Home leave in India.
th

of Zambia released a Pastoral Statement The following are currently out of the Diocese:
b) The tendency to communicate 1. Fr. Rajesh Praveen D'souza, SVD -
calling for peace and reconciliation in
only some parts of one’s interior Home leave in India.
world
Western Province. This was necessitated 2. Sr. Elizabeth Hoonhee Song, SSpS -
by the events that had rocked the Western Study Leave in Ghana.§
c) The risk of constructing a false Province that culminated in violence on 14th
Parish Transfer
F
image of oneself January 2011. The Bishops are hoping for a r. Ramsden Tembo - Moved from St. Kizito's
4. The Youth to be on guard about New Pentecost in Western Province, where Parish, Sesheke to St. Theresa's Cathedral,
authenticity of their being as they use all parties will be reconciled and once again Livingstone.§
the Social Networks. live in harmony. Some of the salient points Pope Benedict XVI's
5. New Technologies allow people to enter from the statement include:
a new world of potential relationships. 1. Call for a spirit of unity, justice, peace
Prayer Intentions
April to June 2011
A
6. Virtual contact cannot replace direct and reconciliation, not only in Western
human contact with people at every Province put also to the rest of the ll Catholics are invited to offer their
level of our lives. country. day each morning to God and to pray
2. The instability in Western Province for the intentions sent to the Apostleship of
7. Christians are invited to join the
has caused fear and uncertainty among Prayer, by the Holy Father.   These are the
networks of relationships in the Digital the multi ethnic society of Western intentions:
Era, albeit confidently, informed and Province. APRIL
responsibly. 3. A call for the Government, the people For The New Generations: That through
8. Young people to make good use of their of Western Province, the Barotse Royal its lively preaching of the Gospel,  the
presence in the Digital World.§
Congratulations!
Establishment and the Organized
Activist groups to come together and
Church may give the Young Generation
new life and hope.  Lord, hear us!
2
• We sincerely congratulate Very find a lasting solution to the situation in For Missionaries:   That both by
Western Province. their proclamation of the Gospel and by the
Rev. Fr. Benjamin Phiri on his
4. The spirit of dialogue should be embraced way they live their lives, missionaries may
appointment by His Holiness Pope in dealing with the issues. bring Christ to those who do not know him. 
Benedict XVI on 15th January 2011 5. The Barotse Royal Establishment should Lord, hear us!
as Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata provide leadership and hope to the people MAY
Diocese. He will be ordained Bishop of Western Province. For those in the Communication Media:  
on 9th April at St. Anne's Cathedral 6. Activist Groups should commit That those working in the communication
in Chipata. themselves to peaceful means of media may report truthfully, respecting
• We equally congratulate Very advocating for their demands. the  solidarity and dignity of all people. 
Rev. Fr. Evans Chinyemba on his 7. The incarcerated activists should be Lord, hear us!
released to foster dialogue and normalize For the Church in China:   That the Lord
appointment by His Holiness Pope
the situation in Western Province. may help the Catholic Church in China to
Benedict XVI on 15 February 2011 8. That perhaps the Barotseland Agreement
th
persevere in fidelity to the Gospel and to
as Bishop of Mongu Diocese. He of 1964 be brought to an amicable grow in unity.  Lord, hear us!
will be ordained Bishop on 28th May conclusion. JUNE
at Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, 9. The Call for the Government to bring For Priests:  That priests, united to the
Mongu. about development to Western Province. Heart of Christ, may always be true
• We join the SVD Fathers in thanking 10. The call for the Government to re-open witnesses to the caring and merciful love
the Lord for having clocked 25 years Radio Lyambai to allow it operate, of God.  Lord, hear us!
of service in Livingstone Diocese so as to promote peace, healing and For Missionary Vocations: That the
reconciliation.§ Holy Spirit may bring forth from our
and other parts of Zambia. §
communities many missionaries who are
Bishop's Special ready to be fully consecrated to spreading
St. Joseph's Hospice Programme the Kingdom of God.  Lord, hear us!§
Opens ART Clinic
S
• 1 April - Platinum Jubilee (Holy Cross
t. Joseph’s Hospice has introduced Anti Sisters) - Livingstone
Send Comments To
Retroviral Therapy (ART) Clinic to it’s • 2 to 4 May - Represent ZEC at a
Meeting - Harare, Zimbabwe The Editor,
service range. This is in pursuance of the
Hospice objective to provide holistic care • 11 June - Golden Jubilee - Holy Diocesan Newsletter,
to the needy in our community.
Childhood Parish, Makunka P.O. Box 60138,
• 12 June - Confirmation - Maria Regina Plot. No. 27/313 Musi-O-Tunya Rd.,
The ART clinic which started in Parish, Linda
March, this year, will initially run every • 20 to 24 June - Second ZEC Plenary Livingstone.
Friday morning with plans to scale up the Meeting - Lusaka Tel. +260 213 321667
number of clinics per week as demand • 25 June to 5 July - AMECEA Assembly Fax. +260 213 324280
increases.§ - Nairobi E-mail. seclivd@zamnet.zm