“One of the great challenges the Church faces is the spread of sects, which often try to attract the Catholic faithful, especially in areas where there are few priests. In light of this reality, the issue of priest mobility takes on a very special relevance,” ACN says in the Friday, June 30 report.
According to the charity foundation, Catholic Parishes in Zambia cover vast areas and include numerous small villages sometimes many tens of kilometers apart.
ACN has identified the lack of roads, or the poor quality of existing ones, as some of the biggest problems facing Catholic Priests and Catechists in Zambia.
The country also has extreme levels of poverty and the lack of infrastructure in the areas of health, and education.
“Since it is not possible for the Church to fix the roads, ways have to be found to facilitate the mission of those who have to travel to assist the faithful,” ACN says, underscoring the importance of the 114 bicycles that the Catechists in the Diocese of Mpika received.
The representative of the catechists’ association, Stephen Chipasha, has stressed the importance of these bicycles for the presence of the Church even in the most distant places, even in villages with almost no access.
“Catechists are essential in the pastoral ministry of the diocese,” Chipasha says in the June 30 ACN report, adding that the Catechists also help prepare the people of God for the celebration of the Sacraments.
ACN has also supported the construction of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Zambia’s Monze Diocese.
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