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Catholic Bishop’s Commitment to Build Cathedral in Zambia Bears Fruit after His Death

Credit: ACN

On September 3, the new Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Monze in Zambia was opened, bringing to life the dream that was dear to Bishop Moses Hamungole who succumbed to COVID-19 complications in January last year aged 53.

In a Monday, September 5 report, the Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, described the late Zambian Bishop who initiated the idea to construct the Cathedral as the Biblical Moses who could not see the finished place of worship.

The charity’s sentiments were echoed by the Diocese of Monze, lauding the late Bishop Hamungole for his undying desire to care for the Diocese’s expansive population.

“Like Moses in the Bible, Bishop Moses Hamungole’s dream for Monze Diocese has been realized in his death. The late Bishop set out to build the new Holy Trinity Cathedral whose foundation stone he took to Rome for Pope Francis to bless in 2017,” a September 2 report from the Catholic Diocese of Monze indicates. 

According to the Zambian Diocese, it was Bishop Hamungole who wished that the Cathedral comes to fruition at the Diamond Jubilee (60) of Monze Diocese “as a feasible sign of the growth of faith in Monze”.

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In the September 5 report, ACN reported that Bishop Hamungole led his people to build a new Cathedral, adding, “But like the prophet, he was called home by the Lord before he could see the finished cathedral.”

At the beginning of the project planning in 2017, Bishop Hamungole explained in a letter to the charity foundation that the old Cathedral, which was located in the middle of the city’s central business district, was unable to cater for the Catholic population that was swelling by the day.

Additionally, the noise pollution owing to its location was affecting church celebrations, especially during large services.

“Moreover, the plot of land on which the church stands is so small that it is impossible to build new facilities such as a parking lot and classrooms for catechesis, which we also need,” the late Bishop told ACN.

He said that owing to the large population of the faithful, four Masses were being celebrated in the Cathedral Parish every Sunday.

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Highlighting his desire to promote evangelization in the Zambian Diocese, the late Bishop told ACN in the letter, “Given the rapid growth and spread of Protestant churches, we thought that finding a site on the outskirts of the city and building a new church would help us create a new parish for evangelization.”

With this in mind and the support of the people of God under his pastoral care, Bishop Hamungole set to work, the charity foundation reports, adding that a fundraising campaign was launched and a plot of land was acquired from the government. 

Finally, a delegation visited Pope Francis in Rome, who blessed the cornerstone in March 2017.

The Pontifical charity foundation says that it also pledged financial support to implement the Cathedral initiative. 

However, according to ACN, delays in obtaining building permits from the government, as well as difficulties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed construction of Holy Trinity Cathedral that was officially opened on September 3.

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Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.