Baluwa outlines agenda for Balaka Parish

Missionary priests, especially Italians, played a critical role in the birth of St Louis Montfort Catholic Parish in Balaka some years ago. They also oversaw the introduction and growth of the Catholic faith in the Eastern Region through Mangochi Diocese. Satisfied that the local church has grown to the level of independence, the missionaries have now handed over the parish to the local clergy. The clergy has since appointed Father Callisto Baluwa as the new parish priest. Our reporter WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR finds out who Baluwa is and his vision for the parish.

Congratulations on your appointment as the first Malawian priest to lead this parish.

Thank you and let me urge you to celebrate with me because this appointment signifies that, together, we are beginning to own the affairs of the church. It signifies that God is weaning us from our spiritual fathers and giving us the power to evangelise the world without necessarily depending on assistance of the West.

How did you find yourself in the Catholic clergy?

When I was doing my primary school at Mponda here in Balaka, missionary priests used to tell us that the future of the church is in the hands of the youth. That was around 1970s. I did not pick what they meant until today when I am heading this parish. Let me state here that my vocation into priesthood was deeply inspired by the missionaries, especially Fr. Mario Pacifici. He is the one who encouraged me to join a children’s group—Tarcisio Group—which he had formed to promote active participation of the youth in activities of the church. Our main role in the church was to serve mass as altar boys and I headed this group when I was only 10. It was during this time that I developed deep love for priesthood.

By this time, where were your parents and did they support your vocation?

They were both at Mponda Full Primary School right behind this church. My father was the head teacher of this school at the time. My parents were both God-fearing Catholics; hence, they gladly supported my desire to become a priest. They both died, but still I thank God for their support and encouragement which has seen my dream coming to pass.

You are taking over from missionaries who bankrolled development projects of the parish using resources solicited from their relatives and friends back home. How are you going to sustain these projects?

I will not do them singlehandedly. This will be a collective effort by all Catholic and non-Catholic residents of Balaka. My job will be to understand the needs of the people in my area of jurisdiction so that we can journey together towards creating and promoting the spirit of self-reliance. Secondly, I want to promote para-church groups such as the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) and Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), among others. This is to ensure that everyone uses his or her talent for the growth of the church.

I have some development ideas I will pursue for the betterment of the parishioners. I am very interested in promoting access to clean and safe drinking water by drilling boreholes.

Again, I will fight for the economic empowerment of my parishioners through the introduction of more income generating activities (IGAs). Personally, I will be distributing relief items to orphans, vulnerable children and the elderly to ensure no life is lost because of need.

I will approach organisations that provide grants for development projects to help in this area. Finally, I want to promote unity among religious congregations in the Catholic Church.