Zambia – First profession of 20 Salesian novices
Kabwe, Zambia – August 3, 2023 – Twenty Salesian novices heading from 5 countries (RD Congo, Malawi, Pakistan, South Africa and Zambia) and 4 Salesian provinces (AFC, AFM, FIS and ZMB) celebrated their first religious profession at St Mary's Parish Church of Kabwe, Zambia on August 3, 2023. The solemn 3-hour-long Eucharist was celebrated by Bishop of Kabwe, Clement Mulenga, SDB and concelebrated by 20 Salesian priests including 3 respective SDB provincial superiors - Fr Guillermo Basanes (AFC), Fr Vaclav Klement (AFM), Fr Fidel Orendain (FIS) and Fr Michael Mbadama (ZMB). The local parish of St Mary's contributed to the celebration with wonderful song and dance animation, all present provincial took part in the religious profession rites - Fr Mbadama received the vows of the novices, Fr Basanes distributed the SDB Constitutions, Fr Orendain gave to the newly professed the Don Bosco medal and Fr Klement shared the homily. The ZMB province has already a long tradition of inter-provincial formation, in the Aspirantate (Chingola-Zambia), Prenovitiate (Lilongwe-Malawi), Novitiate (Kabwe-Zambia) and Postnovitiate (Lusaka-Zambia). At the conclusion of the Eucharist one of the novices expressed the gratitude to their novice-master Fr Tresphord Chisanga and his multi-cultural formation team.