Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides)- Bishop elect Alessandro Pagani will be ordained and installed in his diocese of Mangochi, in Malawi on Saturday 26 May. “The celebration is expected to be attended by many people” said Monfort missionary Fr Piergiorgio Gamba.
“ Mangochi had been waiting for this appointment for two years” Fr Gamba told Fides. “His ordination and installation will bring together the faithful of 19 parishes to thank the Church and Father Alessandro for accepting a service which will involve many worries but also much consolation and support of a diocese which continues to grow ”.
A mission which goes back ideally 30 to Mgr Alessandro Assolari first Prefect Apostolic and the first Bishop of Mangochi in 1973, then to the 38 days of ministry of Bishop Luciano Nervi, who died prematurely soon after his installation (see Fides 6 May 2005). Since 8 March 2005 the diocese had been guided by a diocesan administrator Fr. Luigi Gritti and then by the Bishop of Zomba, Mons. Thomas Msusa.
Fr Alessandro Pagani will be ordained at Saint John's Major Seminary, by Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, Apostolic Nuncio to Zambia and Malawi. The President of Malawi Bingu wa Mutharika will be present. “The celebration will be important for the village of Torre Boldone and the Monfort family called in the person of Bishop elect Alessandro to new missionary spirit” Fr Gamba concluded.
This year the diocese of Mangochi celebrates its 100th anniversary... 29 June 2007 the oldest mission in the diocese of lMangochi, Utale One - Saint Peter Parish will officially open the centenary celebrations. On May 1 1908 the first Monfort missionaries started building a mission, the fourth in chronological order after the foundation of Santa Maria in Nzama in 1901. In the history of Catholic presence in Malawi Utale mission closes the first period of evangelisation and represents the first “descent from the mountains” where the first mission were situated. After Utale, missions were opened in the towns of Zomba and Blantyre. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 23/5/2007 righe 33 parole 396)
