A Century of Mission

As the Church approaches the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday, Catholic Mission reflects on what one hundred years of shared mission has meant for communities around the world. This centenary year, Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme “One in Christ, united in mission”, a call to recognise that mission is not the work of individuals alone, but of an entire Church moving together in faith. The theme speaks to a unity that goes beyond agreement or belonging; it is an active, lived commitment to bringing God's love into the world alongside one another. As Pope Leo XIV describes it, mission is "born of love, lived in love and leading to love."

In 2022, floods and cyclones tore through rural Malawi, destroying homes, washing away farmland, and forcing entire communities to relocate. Families were resettled far from the land and livelihoods they once knew, and in the aftermath, access to education became increasingly difficult for many.

In remote communities across Malawi, distance, cost and limited resources are significant barriers to education. Children like Yamikani*, who lives with a physical disability, walk several kilometres each day to reach their current school. For families still rebuilding after the 2022 disasters, these barriers are compounded further.

Fr Matthew Semba, Director of Social Services for the Chikwawa Diocese, has been working alongside these communities for a number of years. Together with the Church in Malawi, he is overseeing the construction of St Peter's Nyamikuta Primary School in Kampira, bringing education closer to the children and families in the area. Alongside classrooms, the school will provide nutritious meals, basic educational supplies, and shade trees to help protect the community against extreme weather.

"This project encourages them to seek something bigger, to look forward to something greater,” shared Fr Matthew Semba, Project Coordinator.

By investing in local education infrastructure, the Church is working to ensure that children like Yamikani, who hopes to one day become a driver and earn an income to support himself, have access to the foundations they need to build a future.

*Name changed to protect identity