On Easter Monday, in tandem with Holy Trinity Parish in Kitwe, a new SMA Center was opened in Kitwe Zambia by Bishop Benjamin Phiri, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ndola. Present, were some SMA Fathers, including the Zambian SMA District Superior Fr. Ignatius Malwa, Fr. William Sinkala, Fr. Yashim Abel, Fr. Andrew Faisal, and Fr. Mathias Chungu, members of the community from Holy Trinity parish as well as representatives of St. Kieran who traveled from Ireland for the occasion. The Center was constructed by Fr. Patrick J. Gormley, SMA, who is a missionary in Zambia for many years.

The Centre idea came into being as a result of a contract signed between Saint Kieran’s secondary school in Ballygawley, Ireland, whose staff and pupils met and discussed with the leaders in Holy Trinity parish Kitwe in 2009. Mulenga is a sprawling compound where there are more than 26,000 people and where 50% of the population are 15 years of age and under. Living conditions are really difficult with a lack of basic needs in life, such as food, shelter, education, and opportunities being the reality for most residents. There was no real place for them to gather or meet for prayers. When the community was finally formed, Fr. Gormley constructed and had Holy Trinity Church opened on the 25th of May 2013. 

Saint Kieran’s offered to fund education because they saw a need to expose children in this realm and other deprived spheres of their lives such as spiritual, cultural, and social values. Considering that Mulenga Compound lacked enough unoccupied land, the idea of providing a residential Centre in the rural area was brought forth. Subsequently, the construction of the SMA Centre was done by the youth of the Mulenga compound, who learned under supervision the basic skills in construction. Hence, after five years and more of construction, the opening of the brand-new Centre with accommodation wings for boys and girls, kitchens, meeting rooms, and bathrooms, all fitted with solar energy was opened on Easter Monday 2022.

It is an opportune time for the opening as we sometimes call Easter Monday ‘Galilee Day’ because that is where the disciples were to meet the risen Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord brings Life to its fullest. Programs at the Centre will be organized, using participatory practice and reflection, to develop faith and a sense of well-being for the participants. It is based on the principle of self-reflection and to quote the philosopher Socrates when he wrote “an unexamined life is not worth living” The Centre aims at the holistic development of the person so that they may achieve their full potential. St Kieran’s secondary school Ballygawley, Ireland is the main sponsor of this project, and Fr. Gormley is the manager of the Centre, and bookings are already made by groups.

                                                                                                                                                             By Tom Casey, SMA