Silver Jubilee of Angola’s Dundo Diocese “opportunity to strengthen communion”: Local Ordinary

Dundo, 10 October, 2025 / 8:47 PM

Bishop Estanislau Marques Chindekasse of the Catholic Diocese of Dundo in Angola has described the Silver Jubilee of his Episcopal See as an “opportunity to strengthen communion”, renew faith, and deepen the Church’s evangelizing mission.

In a pastoral letter announcing the launch of celebrations marking 25 years since the establishment of Dundo Diocese, Bishop Chindekasse underscored the need to foster witnessing to Gospel values.

“As we celebrate 25 years of the Diocese, this is a time to give thanks for the journey made, to overcome past difficulties—especially those caused by the years of war—and to renew our commitment to faith and the mission of evangelization,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop says in the letter issued Tuesday, October 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Bishop Chindekasse has invited the people of God to embrace a “deeper renewal,” cautioning that it should not be limited to external celebrations but expressed through a genuine commitment to community transformation. He emphasized that such renewal is key to realizing a Synodal Church in which all walk together in faith, hope, and charity, and actively participate in the Church’s mission of evangelization. 

“The Jubilee is an opportunity to strengthen communion and shared responsibility among all pastoral agents – Priests, women and men Religious, Catechists, and lay faithful,” the Angolan member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) says about the celebrations to be organized under the theme “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).

Reflecting on the theme of the year-long celebrations set to conclude on November 9, 2026, the 67-year-old Catholic Bishop calls on the people of God to imitate Mary’s spirit of listening and obedience. The Blessed Virgin Mary, he says, “teaches us to trust in the word of Christ even when the way forward is not immediately clear.”

“Mary invites us to be a Church attentive to the needs of the people, acting with hope and charity, following her example in serving and accompanying our brothers and sisters,” Bishop Chindekasse says.

He underscores the importance of learning from past misdeed, saying, “Without memory, there is no progress. We must reflect on the past to correct mistakes, value achievements, and strengthen our mission.”

The Local Ordinary of Dundo Diocese since his installation in Mary 2013 goes on to call for the establishment of permanent structures for pastoral planning and evaluation to ensure a “living and active Church,” and adds, “Continuous evaluation is essential for our spiritual and organizational growth. Only then can we respond effectively to current and future challenges.”

He expresses gratitude to missionaries and local communities who have contributed to the growth of the Church in Dundo Diocese, adding that their witness “keeps the flame of faith alive.”

The SVD Bishop also underscores the vital role of young people in the Church’s evangelizing mission, describing them as “the future of the Church and society.” 

Dundo Diocese, he says, continues to invest in the formation of Catechists, the creation of schools and radio stations, and youth participation in evangelization.

Acknowledging the wounds left by years of conflict in the Southern African nation, Bishop Chindekasse calls for a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation. “We must promote authentic listening, justice, and reconciliation so that the Gospel becomes a true force of human and social transformation,” he says.

He invites the people of God to be a welcoming and inclusive Church, saying, “We are called to be a Church that goes forth — one that reaches out to the marginalized and embraces everyone, including those who have drifted away.”

He adds, “With God’s help and everyone’s collaboration, we will build a strong Church prepared to serve the people.”

Bishop Chindekasse encourages the faithful to give thanks for the fruits of the past 25 years, including growth in religious and priestly vocations. “It is a time to praise God and renew our commitment to the mission He has entrusted to us,” he says.

In his October 7 pastoral letter, he implores, “May the love of Christ fill our hearts and transform society, so that we may build a true Church—one that is a home of justice, peace, and fraternity.”