3 CENACLES UPDATE MZUZU, Malawi, Africa Elias Lazarus wrote and told us: Malawi is a small Southern African country with a population of around 17.6 million, and 17 percent are Catholics. There are two Archdioceses, Blantyre and Lilongwe, and five dioceses: Mzuzu, Karonga, Dedza, Zomba, and Chikhwawa. There are several Church associations that help Christians to deepen their faith, one of which is the Divine Mercy (DM) Apostolate. This apostolate is well established in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe. It is also growing and has spread to other dioceses. In Mzuzu Diocese, Divine Mercy started with a few members of St. Peter Cathedral in 2020. There are currently more than 15 members that are actively involved in the devotions that are core in the association. The photo above is of Fr. Paul Chirwa, curate at St. Peter Cathedral. Divine Mercy Prayers are conducted every Saturday after morning Mass. Divine Mercy Apostolates participate also in the Adoration of the Eucharist which takes place every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Divine Mercy Apostolates do charity works as this is one of the pillars of Divine Mercy devotion. They have so far visited the elderly sisters of the Rosarian congregation residing close to their headquarters. They also donate groceries to the St. Vincent de Paul Association. Our association is not yet recognized at the diocesan level but the bishop is aware of it and processes are in progress to have an appointed chaplain. At the parish level, our priest, Fr. John Moyo, has been very supportive and our source of guidance. Sister Angella Sikazwe also assists in the group guidance from time to time. A national evangelization team from the National Divine Mercy Apostolate visited St. Peter Divine Mercy Apostolate with an aim of training members on the Divine Mercy Apostolate. The team was invited through the parish priest with an approval from Bishop John Ryan. This was a milestone for it was the first of its kind for the apostolates of St. Peter. The training focused on the history of the Divine Mercy Apostolate and St. Faustina; important devotions; characteristics of an apostolate; and duties that apostolates are to perform. Our association is struggling to have all its members possess necessary books for use during prayers. This is due to the unavailability of such books but also the financial challenges of individual members. Important books include the devotional of the Divine Mercy Apostolate, the Diary of St. Faustina, and the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Some members have all these books purchased from their personal resources. The apostolates are thankful to Fr. Hemes Paononga who provided copies of the Diary, and also for connecting us with Dr. Bryan Thatcher who sent us diaries, Rosaries, and formation booklets 1, 2 and 3. The St. Faustina Divine Mercy members are Catholic Christians in the Archdiocese of Juba in South Sudan who desire to emulate the life of St. Faustina. They implore the mercy of God especially for sinners, and for peace to reign in our country through praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily at three o’clock. The group is committed to reach out to every soul in this country with the mercy of God through the following activities in English and the local dialects (“Juba Arabic” and “Bari”): • Recollections: every First Saturday of the month, the group invites all Christians from all parishes and chapels to attend and participate. A priest teaches the Christians on the topic selected for the day, such as “Sin and Forgiveness.” • Broadcasting the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Radio Bakita at 3 o’clock daily, for to people immerse themselves in the mercy of God. On talk shows, listeners can understand the Divine Mercy of God and ask questions and request for prayers on various intentions. • We have a program to visit monthly a hospital, orphanage, and prison to share what little we have with the needy but, most importantly, to pray for the mercy of God with them. This group is committed to reaching every soul through prayers and deeds of mercy amidst challenges of supporting the needy with basic items such as sugar, soap for washing, etc. However, we continue to pray that the Lord opens up doors for the members of the devotion. On Oct. 30, 2023, thousands of South Sudanese walked amid the strong heat in Juba to welcome their newly enthroned Cardinal, His Eminence Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, from the airport. This was an historic day, a sign of maturity of the Church and a hope for peace to prevail in our country. The Cardinal’s first words encouraged every one to forgive and work towards a lasting peace in the country. Cardinal Stephen has been instrumental in the development of the Divine Mercy devotion through his words of encouragement and support towards existing Christian communities and devotions as a way of strengthening faith. The Divine Mercy Prayer Group had its constitution approved by His Eminence on March 30, 2024. May this apostolate continue to serve as an instrument of evangelization and spiritual growth, and bring the message of redemption and salvation through the Divine Mercy devotion to all entrusted to its care. JUBA, South Sudan Sister Sarah Justin wrote and told us:
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