ZAMBIA MISSION: AFRICA
Zambia Mission :The Beginning
Zambia is a vast land of 752,617 km located in the south eastern Africa with an estimated population of 1,13,00,000. Zambia is a Christian nation since 1996. Total number of the Catholics in the country is above 32,74,000 that is about the 30 percentage of the total population. Catholicism was brought here by three French Missionaries of Africa called as White Fathers in 1891. At present the Catholic Church in Zambia is flourished into ten dioceses.
It was a call from God to the carmelites of manjummel province from kerala, India, through Very Rev. Fr. Saverio cannistra, the General Superior of the order of discalced carmelites and through the Bishop of the Diocese of Chipata, His Grace most Rev. Bishop George Cosmas zumaire lungu to start a mission in the Diocese of Chipata. Bishop George Lungu expressed his desire to have carmelites in his Diocese to the General of the Discalced carmelites. Fr. General entrusted the mission to st. Pius X province of Manjummel, Kerala, India.
On January 18, 2013 then Provincial Rev. Fr. Jacob Palliparambil OCD with Fr. Benny Acharuparambil OCD set out for the visits to Malawi and Zambia.
At first manjummel province sent 4 friars to chipata to start the mission in the Diocese. On 17th January 2014 the friars namely- frs. Jacob paxy alumkal, Joseph Balummel, Robin Koimmakkatu and Francis Gladwin reached here at chipata. The first few months the friars were at diocesan pastoral center at chikungu to learn the language. Then from 1st July 2014 to 1st August 2015 the missionaries stayed in two parishes, namely Petauke and nyimba.
The Diocese entrusted two mission stations to the carmelites, chamilala and mwanjawanthu. On 9th August His Grace Bishop George Cosmas zumaire lungu blessed the first monastery at chamilala. The same day Bishop declared Chamilala as sub parish. It was bifurcated from Nyimba parish.
On 18th December 2017 Bishop George Lungu declared Mwanjawanthu as a Sub parish and it was bifurcated from minga parish. On may 12th 2018 the second monastery at mwanjawanthu was blessed and inaugurated by His Grace most Rev Bishop Benjamin Phiri.
O.C.D CARMELITE MISSION
MISSION CO-ORDINATOR :
FR. ROBIN KOIMAKKATTU OCD
The details of the members
CHAMILALA
O.C.D Carmelite Mission
St. Teresa’s Monastery, Chamilala, P.B 570186,
NYIMBA, Zambia
Ph : 00260967053375., 00967053376, 96705337
E-mail.: ocdcarmelitemissionzambia@gmail.com
Founded : 2015
Members
Fr. Robin Koimakkattu (Superior & Parish Priest), Fr. Thomas Olattupurath, Fr. Godwin Thimothi
MWANJABWANTHU
Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Monastery
Kaumbe, Petauke
Founded : 2018
Members
Fr. Urban Vallavanatt (Superior & Parish Priest)
Fr. Thomas Marottikaparambil, Fr. Anoop Kurian (Asst. Parish Priest)