Since the African synod that took place in Rome in 1994, many countries within Africa have been on the move to implement the points raised in the discussions of our beloved bishops with the Holy Father. The understanding of the bishops at the synod was to make sure that the gospel, in its entirety of doctrine and message reaches the Christians of Africa in their own culture; and thus, inculturation. This kind of effort would have turned out to be useless and unrespected if it were not to be put into action. So, many countries were in for it to implement such kind of inculturation to the Christians.

Malawi as a country within Africa did not turn out to be an exception to this wind of change. A number of dioceses started dating themselves for an outline of their own synods. As the Canon states that 'the diocesan synod is an assembly of selected priests and other members of Christ's faithful of a particular church which, for the good of the whole diocesan community, assists the bishop....(Cf: C.460), the synods of the dioceses had this as their stepping stone. Among the seven dioceses that are in Malawi, Mangochi diocese under its Local Ordinary, Bishop Alessandro Assolari, is one of the dioceses that has made efforts to involve the whole diocese in a three-year journey of the synodal plans (26 March 2001-Pentecost 2003). This diocese of Mangochi mainly evangelises among the Yao, Lomwe and some Chewa people who have different customs of life. The synod is meant to be a concrete response to the African Synod and a living implementation of its conclusions. Further on it is meant to incarnate in a special way the centenary celebration of the Catholic Church in Malawi which reached its climax on 28 July 2001 in Lilongwe the capital city of Malawi and was graced by the papal representative Francis Cardinal Arinze.

The Mangochi diocese synod is building up from the theme of 'Working and walking together that the Kingdom of God may Come!' Nevertheless as Ama Ata Aidoo of Ghana wrote that 'if you can't remember yesterday, how are you going to plan for tomorrow? How are you going to develop when you have perfected that art of forgetting?' (Cf: Baffour's Beef-New Africa, September 1991, p.15), so in its synod, Mangochi diocese has not forgotten to plan for a way forward unless it has perfected the failures of the years past. For sure the future can easily be planned if the past and the present are analysed. Such analysis is to be done by the Central Committee for the Diocesan Synod that has been put in place to work hand in hand with the bishop representing the whole sheep of the diocese.

In the plans of the diocesan synod of Mangochi, several commissions have been set to boost life and participation of the Christians themselves. Such commissions include, the commission of Family life, Peace and Justice, the Youth and Education, Life and the structure of the Church, Liturgy and Ministries, Lay Apostolate, Vocations and the Teaching of the Christian Doctrine.

The synod was inaugurated on 26th March 2001- a day after the official date of the feast of the annunciation of the Lord which falls on 25 March every year-and as by the plans of the diocese, the synod will be effective for three years. All the general assemblies which see as many people as 200 representatives take place at the diocese's Major Seminary-St. John the Baptist. These meetings are meant to discover whatever is needed to be done in the diocese and what should be done to correct the mistakes and failures of the past.

The pictures which you see in this web site are some of the highlights during the plenary meetings.