Bishop Chaima Urges Candidates to Priesthood to Descern Properly

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Zomba, Rt. Rev. Alfred Mateyu Chaima, has encouraged candidates for 2026/27 academic year at Spiritual Formation Centres to discern properly as they embark on a new journey to priesthood.

The Bishop said this on Tuesday at Thondwe Pastoral Centre where he was officially opening a four-day session for the candidates who have expressed interest to become priests of Zomba Diocese in the near future.

The Diocesan leader who was in the company of the Diocesan Vocations Promoter, Deputy Diocesan Pastoral Coordinator and Seminary Lecturer cum-Formator, Rev. Fr. Harold Bauleni, Rev. Fr. Innocent Chiwanda and Fr. Isaac Tsegula respectively, assured the candidates that the Church is in need of them as such they should prepare for the future service very well, particularly through intensive prayer so that they should be able to listen properly to the voice of God who is calling them to serve Him. 

The Prelate also asked them to be upright people, full of integrity and exemplary in everything they do so that they portray a very good image of the Church as they begin the priestly journey. 

Both the Deputy Diocesan Pastoral Coordinator and Diocesan Vocations Promoter echoed the Bishops remarks and assured them of the support from the Clergy and Laity as they take up the new journey of life. 

During the sessions, the candidates will undergo some sessions under clinical psychology and moral ethics among others by Clinical Psychologist and Moral Theologian, Rev. Fr. Isaac Tsegula and Rev. Fr. Peter Chiopsa respectively. 

Diocesan priesthood is a nine-year journey after one gets Malawi School Certificate of Education with 25 points below through which one mainly attains the degrees of Philosophy, Human Sciences and Theology from the Philosophical and Theological Seminaries.