REV. FR. CHIKAPA URGES FAITHFUL TO BE MISSIONARIES OF HOPE AND GENEROSITY

Fr. Geofrey Chikapa, the assistant parish priest at Maula Cathedral and the Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe, has urged the lay faithful to embrace their role as "missionaries of hope" to bring change to the world.

Speaking today, Saturday, October 18, 2025, Fr. Chikapa delivered a powerful homily focusing on the significance of October as Mission Month and encouraging the faithful to prepare for the upcoming Mission Sunday.

Fr. Chikapa highlighted that October is a special month for Catholics, a time dedicated to gathering as a Church to pray for missional activities and to encourage generous financial contributions towards them.

"Tomorrow is a special day. It's a day when we'll be celebrating our missional law as Christians," he said. "As a Mission Sunday, the Church encourages us to offer prayers... for the intention of the Church, that its law of spreading the gospel should reach across all over the world."

He stressed the growing needs of the Church today, including the funding required for building new rectories and the training of seminarians.

He made a direct appeal to the congregation: "tomorrow let us double our contributions so that whatever we collect tomorrow can be used for the needs of the church."

Fr. Chikapa connected his call to action with the day's commemoration of the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist and Martyr.

He recounted the story of St. Luke, who was a medical doctor but "left everything and followed Jesus Christ."

Fr. Chikapa emphasized St. Luke's profound contribution to the Church through his writings, particularly the Gospel of Luke, which remains rich in its teachings and is central to the Church's evangelization efforts today.

"Let us emulate the law and the mission work of St. Luke, where he went across different places to preach the good news," he stated, urging parishioners to dedicate themselves to spreading the good news as St. Luke did through his ministry and writing.