Reported by Mustapha Omolabake Omowumi, Managing Editor | Sele Media Malawi.
MZUZU, Malawi — Second Vice President of Malawi, Right Honourable Enock Kanzingeni Chihana, has joined Catholic Church leaders, government officials and political representatives in Mzuzu for the national centenary celebration of World Mission Sunday, as Malawi joins the global Catholic community in marking 100 years of the annual missionary observance.
The national celebration is taking place at Mzuzu Stadium on Saturday, 3 October 2026, under the theme “One in Christ, United in Mission.” The event is being hosted by the Catholic Church in Malawi through the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in collaboration with the Diocese of Mzuzu.
The centenary celebration represents a major milestone for the Catholic Church, marking a century since Pope Pius XI established World Mission Sunday in 1926 as a special day for prayer, reflection and financial support for the Church’s missionary work around the world. The Vatican’s Pontifical Mission Societies confirms that the 2026 observance marks the 100th edition of the initiative.
The gathering in Mzuzu has brought together senior Catholic leaders, clergy, religious men and women, seminarians, lay faithful and representatives from different parts of Malawi, alongside government and political figures.
Chihana leads government representation
Chihana’s participation places the government among the national stakeholders joining the Catholic Church in commemorating a milestone that extends beyond the boundaries of a single diocese or local Catholic community.
The Second Vice President, who also serves as President of the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), is attending the celebration alongside senior government and political officials.
The reported government delegation includes Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango and Principal Secretary in the Office of the Second Vice President, Madalo Nyambose.
Other officials listed as part of the delegation include Mzimba District Commissioner Emmanuel Bulukutu and Rumphi Central Member of Parliament Dr Matthew Mtumbuka.
Political representatives accompanying the Second Vice President include AFORD Regional Governor for Vipya Denis Mhone, AFORD Director of Politics Earnest Kondowe and AFORD Public Relations Officer Saulos Thindwa.
The delegation also includes Head of Communications Kelvin Mposa Tchali and Head of Political Affairs David Brown Katete, among other officials and invited dignitaries.
Chihana’s attendance comes against the background of increased engagement between Malawi’s political leadership and faith institutions on issues of national unity, social cohesion and community development.
The Second Vice President has previously called on religious leaders to play a role in promoting peace, reconciliation and national cohesion. In November 2025, he urged faith leaders to continue championing reconciliation and discouraging divisive rhetoric.
Catholic leadership converges in Mzuzu
The celebration has also attracted senior figures from the Catholic hierarchy.
Among those attending is Bishop Yohane Suzgo Nyirenda, the Bishop of Mzuzu Diocese, whose diocese is hosting the national celebration.
Church records show that Nyirenda was appointed Bishop of Mzuzu by Pope Francis on 1 April 2025 and installed on 3 May 2025. He succeeded Bishop John Alphonsus Ryan, who retired from the pastoral leadership of the diocese.
Other senior Catholic leaders include Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa of the Archdiocese of Blantyre, as well as Bishop Peter Adrian Chifukwa of the Diocese of Dedza.
Bishop Chifukwa holds an important national position within the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB), serving as its Vice President. The Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi identifies him as MCCB Vice President, while Bishop Martin Anwel Mtumbuka is listed as MCCB President.
The distinction is important because earlier descriptions of the event had incorrectly identified Bishop Chifukwa as Bishop of Mzuzu. Official diocesan records confirm that he is Bishop of Dedza, while Bishop Nyirenda is the current Bishop of Mzuzu.
Vatican representative serves as Guest of Honour
A major international presence at the celebration is Monsignor Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen, OFM Conv, Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union.
The Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi announced that Msgr. Nguyen would be the Guest of Honour at the national centenary celebration in Mzuzu.
The Vatican’s Pontifical Mission Societies confirms that Father Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen was reappointed by Pope Leo XIV as Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union for a second five-year term beginning on 1 May 2026.
His presence in Malawi forms part of a wider missionary visit that began in late September and includes activities involving Catholic communities, children, seminarians, clergy and lay leaders.
ACI Africa reported ahead of the visit that the Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union was expected to travel to Malawi for the centenary celebrations and missionary activities, including participation in a nationwide initiative involving children praying the Rosary.
His attendance therefore gives the Mzuzu celebration a direct connection to the international structure of the Pontifical Mission Societies and the Vatican’s worldwide missionary efforts.
A century of World Mission Sunday
World Mission Sunday traces its institutional history to the missionary movement that developed in Lyon, France, in the 19th century.
At the centre of that history is Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot, who helped establish the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
According to the Pontifical Mission Societies, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was officially founded in Lyon on 3 May 1822. Jaricot developed a system that linked prayer and financial contributions to missionary work, encouraging ordinary Christians to participate in supporting missions.
Her initiative eventually developed into one of the principal institutions supporting the Catholic Church’s worldwide missionary activity.
The next major milestone came in 1922, when Pope Pius XI declared the Society of the Propagation of the Faith a Pontifical Society.
Four years later, in 1926, the Catholic Church formally established World Mission Sunday.
The Pontifical Mission Societies records that on 14 April 1926, Pope Pius XI approved the decree establishing the penultimate Sunday of October as World Mission Day throughout the universal Church.
Pope Leo XIV has also highlighted the significance of the 2026 centenary. In an address to participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies on 1 June 2026, he described the year as marking the centenary of the establishment of World Mission Sunday by Pope Pius XI.
The Pope said the annual observance is dedicated to prayer, reflection and contributions to the Church’s missionary work, particularly in areas where evangelisation is still developing and where young Churches require support.
Mission, prayer and financial solidarity
World Mission Sunday is not only a commemorative occasion. It is also an important fundraising and missionary-support mechanism within the Catholic Church.
Funds collected during the observance are used to support missionary activities and communities in different parts of the world.
The Pontifical Mission Societies describes the initiative as an expression of missionary solidarity, with contributions distributed to address various needs associated with the Church’s mission.
In Malawi, the missionary collection supports activities connected to evangelisation, pastoral development, formation and the work of the Church.
PMS Malawi says its missionary activities include spiritual and missionary formation, retreats, workshops and seminars, strengthening awareness of the universal mission of the Church and encouraging missionary discipleship among Catholics.
The organisation has also highlighted the role of contributions in sustaining the Church’s missionary efforts and supporting communities that depend on wider Catholic solidarity.
This year’s centenary therefore provides an opportunity for the Catholic Church in Malawi to reflect on the contribution of missionary cooperation to the development of the Church in the country.
Malawi’s preparations began months ago
The Mzuzu celebration is the culmination of months of preparation across the Catholic Church in Malawi.
The Diocese of Mzuzu began preparations well ahead of the national event. In February 2026, its organising committee held a preparatory meeting at St Peter’s Cathedral to review progress in areas including protocol, liturgy, accommodation, transport, security, fundraising, health, food and publicity.
The national launch of the centenary preparations was subsequently held at Katete Parish in the Diocese of Mzuzu on 19 July 2026.
PMS Malawi reported that the launch brought together Church leaders, religious men and women and thousands of Christians. The event also marked the transfer of responsibility for hosting national World Mission Sunday activities from the Diocese of Zomba to the Diocese of Mzuzu.
The Diocese of Mzuzu also pledged more than K10 million towards the missionary effort, reflecting the emphasis placed by the Church on local participation and self-reliance.
The centenary programme has therefore been presented not simply as a single day’s celebration, but as part of a broader period of missionary formation, prayer, fundraising and reflection.
“One in Christ, United in Mission”
The theme for the 2026 centenary — “One in Christ, United in Mission” — has been adopted across Catholic missionary activities in Malawi.
The Diocese of Dedza, for example, has described the centenary as an opportunity for Catholics to renew their commitment to missionary responsibility and recognise that mission is not restricted to clergy but involves the wider Christian community.
The theme also reflects the international character of World Mission Sunday.
While the celebration is being held in Mzuzu, the underlying initiative connects Catholics in Malawi with communities across Africa and other parts of the world through a common system of prayer, missionary formation and financial solidarity.
For Malawi’s Catholic Church, the centenary comes at a time when the Church is continuing to invest in formation, pastoral work, education, youth programmes and other areas of community service.
The presence of government officials at the national celebration also demonstrates the wider public significance attached to major religious gatherings in Malawi, where faith-based organisations remain important actors in education, healthcare, social development and community mobilisation.
A national milestone for the Catholic Church
The Mzuzu gathering consequently combines historical remembrance with a renewed focus on the future of missionary work.
One hundred years after Pope Pius XI formally instituted World Mission Sunday, Catholics in Malawi are joining millions of believers worldwide in reflecting on the continuing responsibilities associated with evangelisation and solidarity with missionary communities.
For the Diocese of Mzuzu, hosting the national centenary represents another significant chapter in its history.
The diocese has been preparing for the event throughout 2026, with Bishop Yohane Suzgo Nyirenda and diocesan structures coordinating preparations alongside the Pontifical Mission Societies.
For the national Catholic leadership, the participation of MCCB Vice President Bishop Peter Chifukwa, Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa and other bishops places the Mzuzu celebration within the wider pastoral mission of the Catholic Church in Malawi.
And for government, the participation of Second Vice President Enock Kanzingeni Chihana and other officials underscores the national visibility of an event rooted in the Catholic Church’s century-long missionary tradition.
As Malawi marks the centenary, the focus now turns beyond the anniversary itself: to sustaining missionary awareness, supporting pastoral communities, encouraging vocations and strengthening the participation of Catholics in the Church’s mission.
The Mzuzu celebration is therefore both a commemoration of a century of World Mission Sunday and a reflection on the future of missionary solidarity in Malawi and beyond.
Pontifical Mission Societies (Vatican) historical background on the 100th anniversary of World Mission Day and the establishment of World Mission Sunday in 1926.
Vatican / Pope Leo XIV address to the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies on the centenary of World Mission Sunday.
ACI Africa reporting on Msgr. Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen’s 2026 missionary visit to Malawi and the World Mission Sunday centenary programme.
Pontifical Mission Societies Malawi national centenary programme and Mzuzu Stadium event details.
Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops Church leadership and diocesan information.
Catholic Diocese of Mzuzu Bishop Yohane Suzgo Nyirenda and preparations for the national celebration.
Diocese of Dedza national centenary preparations and Bishop Peter Adrian Chifukwa’s role within the MCCB.
247 Malawi earlier reporting on Malawi’s planned national centenary celebration at Mzuzu Stadium.