Archives May 2026

According to Mr. Crief Daniel the Laudato Si coordinator he said that the global Church’s annual Laudato Si’ Week is a powerful moment for reflection and action. While its theme encourages a global move from hope to action, the Diocese of Mzuzu in Malawi has already fully embraced this mandate, providing a compelling example of how ecological conversion can transform a local community. This Laudato Si’ Week, the diocese’s long-standing commitment stands as an invitation for us all to celebrate not just a concept, but a living, breathing reality.

A living testament to ‘Laudato Si’

Since Pope Francis released his landmark encyclical in 2015, the Diocese of Mzuzu has worked to turn its principles into tangible action. Much of this work is centered around the Katoto Forest, a vital 192-acre green lung that was facing rapid deforestation. In response, the diocese established its Integrated Ecology Centre (IEC) right in the heart of Mzuzu city.

The IEC is the hub for the diocese’s environmental mission, which includes several major achievements:

• Protecting the Forest: A key success was the completion of a 4.5-kilometer perimeter fence at Katoto Forest in 2025, a project lasting two years that halted illegal encroachment and allowed the ecosystem to recover.
• Training Advocates: A core focus is education, with the Centre training youth from local townships and universities in organic farming, forest management, and ecology. New facilities, including a hostel and an ecology hall, are built to expand these programs as Training of Trainers (TOT) hubs.
• Planting for the Future: The diocese holds an annual tree planting season. In 2025-2026 alone, more than 11,000 trees were planted across various parishes, part of a sustained effort to restore the land for future generations.
• Gaining Recognition: This work has been internationally recognized. A lot of benefactors are international who believe in this dream and work.
• Integrating Faith:

A deep spiritual connection underpins all the environmental work of Mzuzu Diocese. This foundation was laid by the Emeritus Bishop John Ryan, who chose his motto, “Everything except sin is sacred,” based directly on the teaching of Laudato Si’. This powerful theology reminds us that care for creation is not an add-on to faith, but is integral to it because every creature, every forest, every drop of water reflects the face of God.

Today, Bishop Yohane Suzgo Nyirenda, the current shepherd of Mzuzu Diocese, has taken this spiritual foundation and given it a quiet, radical direction. He often urges his priests, religious, and lay faithful to “go and work in silence.” These words are not a call to inaction, but to a deeper kind of action-one done without seeking applause, without noise, without self-promotion. In a world that celebrates loud declarations, Bishop Yohane’s instruction echoes the hidden growth of a seed in the soil, or the quiet work of roots drawing water to sustain a forest.

This “silent work” is exactly what the Integrated Ecology Centre (IEC) at Katoto Forest has been doing: planting trees year after year, building fences without fanfare, training young people in organic farming far from the spotlight. It is the patient, humble labour of protecting our common home because it is sacred not because someone is watching. In this way, Bishop Yohane’s “go and work in silence” becomes the living translation of Bishop Ryan’s “everything except sin is sacred.” One gives the vision; the other gives the method.

Why we celebrate

This year, Laudato Si’ Week is celebrated from May 17 to 24. Its theme, “From Hope to Action”, invites us to understand that hope is not passive but is made real through daily choices, community life, and concrete acts of care. The Diocese of Mzuzu shows us the way.

Celebrating the diocese’s work is important for three key reasons:

• It embodies the ‘Hope to Action’ call: The diocese has moved beyond discussion, showing that the Church can be a powerful agent of environmental change.
• It demonstrates ‘Integral Ecology’: The diocese’s work tackles interconnected social, economic, and environmental issues, from poverty alleviation through beekeeping and savings groups to the moral imperative of stewardship.
• It inspires a renewed mission: Their achievements serve as a blueprint for other faith communities, proving that local, faith-based action can make a tangible difference.

The call resonates worldwide

“From the heart of Malawi to the global community, the message is clear: caring for our common home is a sacred duty, and through concrete action, we can build a more just and sustainable future for all.” Mr. Daniel

This year’s global celebration is particularly significant. In his message launching Laudato Si’ Week, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the link between peace and ecology, noting that conflicts around the world have severely slowed environmental progress. He called on everyone to renew their commitment to “integral ecology,” an approach that connects care for the environment with respect for human dignity and the pursuit of peace. This resonates deeply with the work in Mzuzu Diocese, where caring for the forest is also about caring for the community’s future.

Conclusion: celebrating a living, breathing reality

This Laudato Si’ Week, as the global Church celebrates “From Hope to Action,” the Diocese of Mzuzu reminds us that this call is not a distant ideal. Through the Integrated Ecology Centre, their tree-planting campaigns, and educational programs, the diocese is creating a living, breathing reality of what ecological conversion looks like. Their work is a powerful testament to a faith that is alive and actively healing our world. It is a cause for celebration and a model for us all.

Crief Daniel in Nkhata Bay

The Laudato Si’ Coordinator for Mzuzu Diocese, Mr. Crief Daniel, led an engaging input session for 14 catechists gathered at the Pastoral Centre. The training placed the care of the Earth at its heart, equipping the catechists to become frontline messengers of integral ecology in their communities.

The Diocese understands the urgent need to equip catechists with this knowledge. It is sobering that Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, written in 2015, has still not reached many of our faithful. For this reason, Mzuzu Diocese continues to weave ecological consciousness into the life of the Church. The session was highly interactive, blending observation, “talk with nature” activities, and a deep unpacking of Laudato Si’.

“The distinction is clear: not dominion, but stewardship—for the earth was given to us as a gift, not a possession.” Crief Daniel

At the centre of the discussion was the critical distinction between “dominion” and “stewardship”. As Pope Francis reminds us, “We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us” [LS 67]. The catechists debated this thin line and reflected on the call to be protectors, not exploiters, of God’s creation. All 14 catechists, drawn from the three levels (years) of their of training, were urged to live out and answer the call of the late Pope Francis. The group was challenged to preach and to convert hearts towards the core messages of Laudato Si’, including its practical call to a new lifestyle.

“Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change” [LS 202].The catechists had opportunity to ask questions and receive direction on the Diocese’s concrete steps toward caring for the Earth. This message comes at a crucial time as Malawi and the globe face pressing climate change realities — from erratic rains to droughts and floods that hurt the poorest first.

The group was tasked to embrace a new lifestyle that respects traditional wisdom in caring for the planet, remembering that “we are not disconnected from the rest of creatures, but joined in a splendid universal communion” [LS 220]. Mzuzu Diocese is already moving forward with plans to create an Integrated Ecology Centre, with an Ecology Education Centre as its centerpiece. The Diocese knows the importance of raising a generation that is conscious of nature and ready to be its custodians. We are all interconnected: man is not above nature but a participant within it.

Mr. Daniel expressed his joy that the Church is taking this bolder path to train catechists who will reach thousands. These trained catechists will be assigned to different parishes where they will play a bigger role in guiding communities on ecological conversion.

“The SELL Programme stands as a beacon of hope in the Diocese of Mzuzu, bearing lasting fruit by shaping leaders who courageously live out faith, champion justice, and care for our common home.” — Mr. Isaac Thindwa

Also present was Ugweru Organisation, through Mr. Isaac Thindwa, who gave an input on the SELL Programme — Sharing and Experiencing Life Lessons. The SELL Programme remains one of the most important components in the Diocese of Mzuzu, and it continues to bear much fruit by forming leaders who integrate faith, justice, and care for creation.

Mr. Daniel extended heartfelt thanks to the Diocesan Environmental Committee for the commendable work they are doing in answering Pope Francis’ call. He also alerted the public that groups will soon start coming to the new centre to learn about Mother Earth. As Pope Francis wrote, “The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion” [LS 217]. Mzuzu Diocese is answering that summons – one catechist, one community at a time.

Reported by: Crief Daniel

“I urge every representative here today to ignite a fire of knowledge as multipliers—go forth and train your fellow members in youth clubs and organizations across our diocese!” — Mr. Crief Daniel, Laudato Si’ Coordinator

In a major step towards environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture, the Mzuzu Diocese, through the Integrated Ecology Centre at Bishop’s Residence, has successfully trained 38 young people in the production of briquettes and organic manure.

The training, which took place over two separate intensive sessions held at two-day intervals, brought together youth representatives from various clubs and organisations across the region. The initiative underscores the Diocese’s ongoing commitment to fighting climate change and restoring degraded land.

The training was organized by Malumbo Mkinga of the Green Girls Platform and the Model Farming Centre under the Laudato Si’ Project. The session focused on soil degradation as a major environmental challenge threatening agricultural productivity. Participants explored the causes and effects of soil degradation, alongside practical conservation methods.

During this session, the youth learned to make three types of briquettes:

• Un-carbonised briquettes
• Carbonised briquettes
• Semi-carbonised briquettes

These briquettes serve as a direct replacement for charcoal, and using them significantly minimises deforestation caused by charcoal burning.

On soil degradation management, the training focused on creating composite manure using locally available resources. The youth were shown how this manure improves soil health, leading to better plant growth and higher crop yields.

A Timely Response to Malawi’s Climate Crisis

These trainings come at a time when Malawi is facing severe impacts of climate change: prolonged dry spells, cyclones, flash floods, and rising temperatures that continue to disrupt food systems and livelihoods. From Cyclone Freddy’s devastation to recurrent droughts in the Southern Region, the evidence of a changing climate is undeniable.

It is in this context that the Mzuzu Diocese is not merely teaching practical skills but is actively working to create a new consciousness towards nature and a new way of being one rooted in respect for creation and a sense of ecological responsibility.

The Spirit of Laudato Si’: An Integral Ecology in Action

The work being done at the Integrated Ecology Centre is a direct implementation of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. In that landmark document, the Holy Father writes:

“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” (LS 160)

The Mzuzu Diocese has taken this question to heart. By training young people in briquette making and organic manure production, the Diocese is promoting an integral ecology where environmental, economic, and social issues are addressed together. As Laudato Si’ reminds us, “We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental” (LS 139).

These trainings respond directly to the encyclical’s call to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources and to adopt sustainable agricultural practices that heal the land rather than exploit it.

Importance of the Integrated Ecology Centre

The Integrated Ecology Centre at Bishop’s Residence continues to prove itself as a vital hub for environmental education in the region. These trainings are crucial because they move beyond theory, offering tangible solutions that youth can immediately implement at home and in their communities.

By hosting such sessions, the Centre is creating a ripple effect. The 38 trained youth have committed to sharing their new skills with their peers and stakeholders in the fight against climate change.

A Milestone for Environmental Learning

This event marks a significant milestone for the Mzuzu Diocese, demonstrating a growing appetite among young people for environmental stewardship. The fact that diverse groups are coming to the Centre specifically to learn about ecology shows a shifting mindset from seeing environmental degradation as a hopeless problem to tackling it with practical, local solutions.

As these 38 young leaders return to their communities to train others, the Diocese is proud to be planting seeds of knowledge that will grow into a greener, more sustainable future for all.

“The knowledge gained will not only remain among us, but it will be shared with the communities and stakeholders we work with,” read a joint statement from the participants at the end of the training. The Mzuzu Diocese extends its gratitude to integrated ecology centre, Green girls and all the facilitators for their dedication to empowering the next generation of environmental protectors and for walking the path of Laudato Si’ with courage and faith.