“There’s a shortage of priests, encourage your children to take up the mantle”
To MITIGATE the shortage of Catholic priests which is affecting operations of some parishes, congregates have been advised to consider encouraging their children to take up the mantle.
Kabwe Diocese Cathedral administrator Edwin Mwale has made the clarison call for more people to become priests, religious sisters and brothers.
Father Mwale regrets that in most cases,when young people are making career choices or under the guidance of their parents and guardians, vocations like priesthood, sisterhood and Brotherhood are often overlooked.
Fr Mwale said this is despite them being important callings in the spiritual and social development of society.
He said in some cases when a child shares their intentions to take religious life as a career, some parents and guardians talk them out of it in preferences to them becoming teachers, soldiers and other seeming me to lucrative careers.
Speaking yesterday during Mass at cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Fr Mwale said the Catholic church has a shortage of priests.
” in this Cathedral we can’t have one priest and in parishes also can’t have one priest. This has affected our work.
” you have children, some of you even 5 Children, and you have never talked to them about sisterhood, you have never talked to them about priesthood. We want more priests and sisters,” Fr Mwale said.
He said priests are important in the well being of the church and society at large.
Fr Mwale said the shortage of priests in kabwe Diocese should be deemed as a problem for all Catholics.
He employed grade 12 school leavers with good results to apply for priesthood.
Fr Mwale also said people serving in religious vocation and those who are married need to encourage one another to persevere in their careers.
He said people who opt to remain single should also be respected for their resolve.