Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Zomba, Rt. Rev. Alfred Mateyu Chaima, last Saturday, led a cross-section of men under the umbrella of Catholic Men Association-CMA in a tree-planting exercise at St. Vincent de Paul (Katamba) parish in the Diocese.
Addressing the gathering after the exercise, Bishop Chaima encouraged the men to remain united and proactive in conserving the environment in a bid to arrest climate-related disasters currently haunting the country.
Quoting Pope Francis’s encyclical on environmentalism, ethics and faith, the Local Ordinary added that issues of environmental stewardship require every person’s active participation to achieve meaningful impact.
In his remarks, the chairperson of Catholic Men Association in the Diocese, Mr. Michael Peter Kayenda, thanked the Bishop for championing the initiative saying that his presence at the function is a great motivation for the Association’s growth.
The Bishop concluded by urging the faithful and CMA members in the Diocese to closely monitor the growth of the seedlings so that they don’t die on the way.
In her remarks, Village Headwoman Nkumbira of the area, urged her subjects to assist members of CMA at the parish in taking care of the planted seedlings. She also warned them against wanton cutting down of trees in her village saying that people should keep a watchful eye on each other.
Over 100 seedlings of eucalyptus trees have been planted on the day.