Lusaka
- At January 19, 2012
- By Oblate Partnership
- In Zambia
- 0
The headquarters of the Oblate Zambia Delegation are in Lusaka, the capital of the country, where Oblate presence is visible in many ministries.
One of such ministries is the Mary Immaculate Parish that opened its doors in January of 2004 with a Mass for 250 to 300 people celebrated in a canvas tent. Currently, several hundred people attend daily services and a new building is under construction to house the growing number of parishioners.
Following on the words and work of St. Eugene the Mazenod:
“I will make every effort to preserve the youth from the evils that threaten them ….”
particularly important at Mary Immaculate Parish are the programs for local young people, who actively participated in the building of the current structure and who occupy three positions in the Parish council. Mary Immaculate Parish offers retreats, workshops, evenings of prayer, vocation clubs, and field trips to Oblate missions in the Western Province of the country.
Another Oblate ministry is Lusaka is Our Lady’s Hospice, in the area of Kalingalinga. The Oblates are one of the religious congregations involved in the building and management of the Hospice that has the mission of promoting and providing quality palliative care to patients who have HIV/AIDS and cancer.
The priority is to enhance the quality of life of those patients by controlling their pain and giving them the courage to live as full a life as possible. Services are availagble to all who need hospice care and provided free of charge although those who can afford to make a donation are invited to do so. Recently, the Partnership was instrumental in obtaining funding to purchase and install solar-powered hot water geysers to all of the wards of the hospice.
Please, also visit How to Build a MissionMaking: the De Mazenod Formation House at Makeni.