Maula Cathedral Hosts Liturgical Orientation to Set Standard for Archdiocese of Lilongwe

Fr. Frank Phiri, Pastoral Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, facilitates the liturgical orientation session at Maula Cathedral

Maula Cathedral Parish, the "Mother Church" of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, held a foundational liturgical orientation session on Saturday, January 17, aimed at standardizing liturgical practices and empowering local leadership.

The training was facilitated by Fr. Frank Phiri, the Pastoral Coordinator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe. The session was specifically designed to equip the Parish Executive Committee and the Liturgical Committee with a deeper understanding of Catholic rites and traditions.

During the session, the Chairperson of the Parish, Mrs. Dorica Chirwa, emphasized the unique responsibility held by the Cathedral. She noted that as the central point of the Archdiocese, Maula must serve as a model for all other parishes.

“As Maula Cathedral Parish, we must be exemplary in liturgical matters," Mrs. Chirwa stated. "Whatever we do here—whether right or wrong—will be reflected across the Archdiocese. Our goal is to ensure we are following the correct liturgical issues as prescribed by the Church.”

Maula Cathedral Chairperson Mrs. Dorica Chirwa speaks on the vital role of the Cathedral in shaping liturgical practices throughout the Archdiocese of Lilongwe

She further noted that the initiative follows guidance from the Archbishop to ensure the Cathedral maintains its status as a guiding "Mother Church" for the faithful.

Fr. Frank Phiri grounded the orientation in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, which describes the liturgy as the "source and summit" of the life of the Church.

Leading the way: Fr. Frank Phiri explains the teachings of the Second Vatican Council

“In drilling them to understand what the liturgy is, we are helping them understand what the Church is and what it does in its celebrations,” Fr. Phiri explained. He expressed optimism that the training would help parishioners become "better Catholics" by grasping the true essence of their faith.

The Chairperson of the Liturgical Committee, Mr. Peter Chando, described the workshop as a "milestone" and a necessary "eye-opener." He admitted that the session revealed areas where the parish had unintentionally strayed from standard practices.

“Some of the things we thought we were doing right, we may not have been doing correctly,” Mr. Chando remarked. “This has been very helpful. If we do something wrong here, it goes wrong everywhere in the Archdiocese. Starting these corrections at the Cathedral is the right thing to do.”

The orientation is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen faith and ensure consistency in liturgy across the archdiocese.

By Edwin Sitima