Scottish Catholic Observer

I had heard it said many times before about Africa: “You will be shocked every day by something you see; it could be something poignant or something beautiful.” For me, the sight of an old blind woman sitting outside her home made of mud in Malawi (above right), receiving Communion from a priest jolted me; such was its beauty, poignancy and simplicity.

We had travelled on a Missio trip to the stunning Central East African country and were based in Zomba Diocese. Each day we accompanied Fathers Vincent Mwakhwawa and Henry Chiwaya, Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) national director and diocesan director respectively as they carried out their pastoral visits and duties in the sprawling diocese. They were gracious, fun and warm hosts, hugely committed to their pastoral duties; a vital cog in the chain of bringing and keeping the Faith alive.

Our meeting with the blind lady, Christina, was during a day spent at the Kumpatsa Outstation Church. Now in her 80s, she was blinded by cataracts at just 55 and spends her days tended to by her extended family in the village she lives in. The natural warmth and exuberance of the visiting priests could obviously be sensed by Christina and it was humbling and heartening to see the dignity she was shown by them. They spoke and prayed with her, before giving her the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It struck me forcibly that this was real mission and real faith in action—both hers and theirs. After communion, the villagers sang and danced around Christina, smiled and laughed and revelled in the sense of community.

The visit to Christina’s home was just one of several we made during a particularly hot, exhausting but exhilarating day. We had started the day at Kumpatsa Outstation Church of St Thomas where the villagers were out in force to clap and dance our arrival, giving us a welcome as warm as the sun. Hands reached out to touch and hug us; women sang and clicked their tongues in ‘Olutation’ a unique and amazing sound that symbolises huge happiness and celebration.

The simple Church of St Thomas is the focal point for the community. It was finally built by hand in 2000, with the mud bricks collected long before that in readiness for its construction. While it may have a tin roof that leaks during the rainy season, handmade ornaments constructed from attered old newspapers to decorate the altar, and only a handful of benches that accommodate just a fraction of the congregation, the assembled Mass-goers were just thrilled to be there; to have their Church to gather and pray. Their pride in having their own Church was so touching and genuine.

“People used to laugh at us Catholics as we only had a shed to pray in, but now we have our beautiful Church” Moses, one of the Catechists, said.

He happily recounts the tale of a lady who converted to Catholicism as a result of the commitment she saw.

“The chief said the Catholics are good here; they stuck to their Faith even though they only had a shed to pray in,” he said.

“The Mass was a joyful uplifting experience; singing and dancing, the congregation were alive and revelled in the Mass. The offertory procession was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before. We were invited to stand at the altar and receive the gifts. What an experience. Gifts of maize, mangos, tomatoes and eggs were presented to us as gifts as were two live chickens. This was a treat of treats. The food was given to be shared amongst the priests as their food for the week with any surplus being redistributed back to the people. In turn, we had treats of our own to give. I would never have imagined the joy and magic that little bottle of bubbles would give to the kids. They gathered around and seemed to totally grasp the meaning of sharing, as each child would wait for his or her turn to blow the bubbles.”

People, many of whom were barefoot, walked the dry dusty roads to get to the church, in some cases this involved a journey of some 20km.

One priest, a smiling wiry man, cycles 33kms most days to see his parishioners. You could see how much our visit meant to those we met. They know that the Scottish people have a huge love and respect for the ‘missions’ and have gone to Malawi in their droves. Your continuing prayers and financial support is not lost on Fr Vincent.

“I truly don’t know how we would go on without the support of the wider mission family,” he said. “We have been helped enormously by our brothers and sisters in other countries and this sustains us mentally, spiritually and financially.”

It is glaringly obvious that the Catholic Church is doing a huge amount of work in helping to combat the huge problems facing the people. The poverty is grinding amidst the spectacular Malawian landscape. Scorched earth does not a bountiful harvest make and the people eek out their meagre supplies of maize, always running dangerously low as they anxiously await the rainy season. While much has been done in the battle against HIV, it still remains at high levels; malaria is a constant threat and can kill in one to two days and life expectancy is just 58 for men and 61 for women. While 80 per cent of the schools were introduced by the Church, most have now been taken over by the government, though with huge continuing support from the Church. The Missionary Sisters play a huge part in the health clinics that are run on a shoestring, they prepare and cook the food distributed in schools, and they teach women how to plant and grow crops and other skills that help makes their lives a little bit more comfortable.

The pastoral visits to the sick and aged are vitally important and as one lady, Arestina, said to me: “Having the priests here is like a visit from Jesus.”

As we prepared to leave Malawi, my mind goes back to Christina. She would sleep on the floor in her two-roomed mud house. I don’t know what she had to eat that day, even if she did eat but what I do know is that the visit from Fathers Vincent and Henry that day brought light to her dark world.

—http://www.missio.scot