AFRICA/ZAMBIA - Bishop of Solwezi appointed

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI, on March 23, 2010, appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Solwezi (Zambia), Fr. Charles Kasonde, of the clergy of Ndola, Director of the National Office for the Pastoral Care and Deputy Secretary-General of the Bishops' Conference of Zambia .
Fr. Charles Kasonde was born December 14, 1968 at Kalulushi, Diocese of Ndola. After primary and secondary schools, he followed the normal process of ecclesiastical studies, entering first into the National Philosophical Seminary of St. Augustine in Mpima (1991-1994) and later in the Theological Major Seminary of St. Dominic in Lusaka (1994-1998). He was ordained a deacon in 1998 and according to established practice in the Diocese of Ndola, had 3 years of diaconate (1998-2001). He was ordained a priest on August 4, 2001 for the Diocese of Ndola. After his ordination, he held various positions: (2001-2004): Parish Priest of St. Joseph and at the same time, Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Ministry in Ndola; (2004-2006): Director of the Pastoral Care at the Episcopal Conference of Zambia in Lusaka; (2006-2008): Studies at the Catholic University of Baltimore (United States) for a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology and Pastoral Theology. Since 2008, he has served as Director of the National Office for the Pastoral Care at the ZEC and Deputy Secretary-General of the same bishops' conference.
The Diocese of Solwezi, built it 1976, is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lusaka and has an area of 88,300 sq.km. and a population of 750,000 inhabitants, of which 80,000 are Catholics. There are 20 parishes, 40 priests (21 diocesan, 19 religious), 4 religious brothers, 47 nuns, and 19 major seminarians. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 23/03/2010)