‘Life is never a picnic’, Bishop Mtumbuka tells students
Karonga Diocese outspoken chief shepherd, Bishop Martin Mtumbuka, Saturday gave a spirited life-lecture to students at St Mary’s Karonga Girls Secondary School in the lakeshore district in which, among others, posited that the girls should be focused and remain steadfast
with their faith bluntly putting it that “life will never be a picnic.”
Mtumbuka, also a distinguished educationist, gave the tips when he conferred the sacrament of confirmation to ten girls—students at the school.
The Sacrament of Confirmation, largely described as the anointing sacrament, is when a Bishop or a priest who stands in place of the Bishop lays his hands on the candidate of the sacrament and gets anointed with chrism oil.
During the receiving of the sacrament, so the Catholics believe, the Holy Spirit comes down on the recipients with the gifts of, among others, wisdom, fortitude and understanding.
In his commentary, from a reading from John 16: 13-14, Mtumbuka said the sacrament of confirmation was imperative in the church.
“The anointing highlights the name Christ. When you receive the sacrament, it means you are essentially participating in the ministry of Jesus Christ. This sacrament helps to give you wisdom, and it helps you have fortitude which you can use to defend your faith—in this case
your Catholic faith,” said Mtumbuka.
Mtumbuka further tipped the students, not just the confirmands, that they should remain focused for the future.
“Most of you think that when you get out of here you will, just like that, go to Mzuzu University or Chancellor College, get a good husband who will be spoiling you like that; taking you to Jamaica and all those places. No. Life is not like that. Otherwise, if it were like
that, then life would be a picnic.
“You need to be strong. Because the cross, my dear daughters, is real. I will be lying both as your bishop and a parent that life is as easy as you think. No. Life is not a picnic. You need to be strong. You need to have faith to keep you going,” said Mtumbuka.
St Mary’s Karonga Girls Secondary School is a National Grant Aided Girls’ Boarding Secondary School in Karonga district, in the northern part of Malawi.
It is one of the biggest national girls’ secondary school in the country with a capacity of 600 students. St Mary’s Karonga Girls opened its doors in 2016 with 150 girls in Form One
drawn from districts across the country.
The enrollment as of now is 450 girls in forms One to Three. St Mary’s Girls will be a full school in September 2019, with forms 1 to 4 and a total of 600 students.
The school was constructed by TeamLift—a US based charitable organization through the Diocese of Karonga, the proprietor of the school. Since its inception, access to secondary school for girls has increased as it draws 90 girls through government across the country
and 60 students selected within the Diocese of Karonga.
UYU SHOULD HAVE BEEN apm.