Talking Mission - Bishop Mulandu

Can you please introduce yourself and share about little about yourself and what inspired you to dedicate your life to mission and priesthood?

I’m Bishop Edwin, the Bishop of Mpika Diocese in Zambia.

Where to begin with? Maybe I can start from the time when I was a young boy about to complete my high school. This was the time when I felt that God was calling me to serve as a priest.

At this stage, I was inspired by a priest who was sent to our parish. This young priest was in his mid-twenties, he was ordained at 25, and he loved working with the youth. He loved to be with us and to promote vocation. Because he was very young, I was really attracted. I said, well, even myself, I can become a priest just like him.

He was always there for us, giving us guidance and direction in life, doing catechism. He was really inspiring, a role model. So, I got attracted at that time and presented to him my desire to become a priest.

I wasn’t sure what the response of my parents was going to be. I was worried about my father because he wanted me to become a medical doctor, a very big job in society. When this priest approached my parents, both of them said, “Yes, it’s okay. If that’s what you want, it’s fine,” and they gave me their blessing.

So, I went to the seminary. During my training, I was thinking of being a priest like the one who inspired me and work with the youth and to help people in need.

When I became a priest, things changed a little bit. My bishop at the time sent me to do a course in accounting. When I completed that course, he appointed me as finance administrator. I was spending more time in the offices of the diocese, which was not what I was looking for. My desire was to work in a parish, helping people and the young.

Later, after completing my course in Ireland, I was sent to a university to work as finance administrator, where I also had the opportunity to be teaching students. That’s when I started exercising my pastoral calling again.

After that, I was appointed National Director for the Pontifical Mission Societies. I was truly happy because it gave me the opportunity to reach out to people in need across the country. Eventually, I was appointed bishop, and I have continued from there.

As bishop, I draw much inspiration from my experiences as National Director. I’m familiar with the work that you do as Catholic Mission, and that gives me energy to continue the work we are doing in the Diocese of Mpika.

You celebrated Mass for World Mission Sunday at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. What does it mean for you to have been here in Australia to celebrate this Mass?

Well, I can tell you, first of all, it was like a dream. When I was informed that I would have the opportunity to celebrate World Mission Sunday Mass in one of the cathedrals in Australia, it was a dream come true.

The moment I was dressing in the sacristy, preparing for Mass, it really felt like a dream. In the seminary, we were taught that we are ordained for the Universal Church, not only for our diocese. My desire was simply to work in a parish and serve people, especially the youth. I never thought that I would one day be a bishop, come to Australia, stay in a bishop’s residence, and celebrate Mass not just in a parish church but in a cathedral.

It’s something I thank God for. I can’t even find the words to express how happy and humbled I am. It’s a very big blessing, and I thank God for it.

How do you think World Mission Sunday connects people across different cultures and continents?

World Mission Sunday is about celebrating our universality as a Church through prayer and material sacrifice. On this day, we are reminded of our responsibility to think about others, not only ourselves.

Whether we are in a parish or a different country, we are reminded to care about those who are far from us. That is a very important spirit we have been given in the Catholic Church. It’s what makes me feel comfortable even when I am far from home, because as a Catholic, a priest, or a bishop, wherever you are, you are not a stranger.

The celebration of World Mission Sunday reminds us that we belong to the universal Church, and we have to love and care for one another regardless of where we come from.

Pope Leo XIV recent message highlighted walking together in faith. How do you see that spirit lived out within your community?

It’s lived out very strongly, especially in Africa. We have a philosophy called Ubuntu, which values community and relationships.

In our rural communities, it’s not difficult to live this message. People eat together as families. When you prepare a meal, you also prepare for your neighbours. You put the food in the centre, everyone participates, and they do the same. That’s our way of life. So, this message is very welcome in Africa because it aligns with how we already live—connected, communal, and caring.

Catholic Mission has supported several initiatives in your diocese, including the maternal health clinics and maize mill project. What difference are these making in the lives of local families?

A lot of difference. Mpika is a typical rural diocese that doesn’t have many of the privileges found in towns. Life is centred around the parish: it’s where you find the school, the health centre, the clinic, even the market.

With the maternal health project, we are providing safe and dignified spaces for mothers to give birth. Before, many women delivered at home, and complications often led to the loss of both mother and child. Now, through the project, mothers can come to a safe environment where they are cared for and monitored.

We are also building mothers’ shelters where women can stay as they wait to give birth, especially since many travel long distances, sometimes 40 or 50 kilometres. This gives them comfort and dignity. The new health posts also mean check-up clinics can happen in better conditions.

So, this project truly restores dignity and life for mothers and children.

As for the maize mill project, it’s about food security. Farming in our region is labour-intensive and mostly traditional. We only receive rain once a year for three or four months. Through this project, women are trained in modern farming methods and provided with seed and inputs. This improves food production and the economy.

The maize mill adds value to what they harvest. Instead of selling maize cheaply to middlemen, we can now produce our own meal, protect families from exploitation, and strengthen the local economy. It’s a big step toward independence and sustainability.

Can you share a story that has stayed with you, a moment that reminded you of God’s presence in your mission work?

When I was appointed bishop of Mpika, I came from an urban area where life was easier. Schools, hospitals, everything was nearby. Mpika was new to me, very rural. I had fears, but I confided them to God and said, “You are the one who chose me, so take charge.”

It’s not easy to find money in rural dioceses. Yet, as bishop, you must provide for your priests. In towns, parishes support the diocese, but in rural areas, it’s the opposite. That was my biggest challenge: How to provide for them.

Then Catholic Mission came on board. Without their support, I don’t know how I would have managed to get the projects underway. This touched me deeply. I saw God’s hand in it all. That’s my story of faith, seeing God at work through others’ generosity and prayer.

What gives you hope as you look to the future of your diocese and the Church?

What gives me hope is that this work we are doing: It’s God’s project. There is God’s hand in everything that is happening in the diocese and in the Church. That’s what gives me confidence and courage to continue.

And lastly, how can we, as individuals, continue to live our call to mission in our daily lives?

As individuals, we have to look up to God in prayer and open ourselves to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We must say, “Here I am, Lord. Use me as you will.”

That’s actually my episcopal motto, inspired by Isaiah 6:8 “Here I am, Lord, send me.” We have to always give ourselves to God to use us as His instruments.