The rite, carried out in the gymnastics sports pavilion in Lwena, was attended by 17 bishops, 80 concelebrating priests, 500 members of the choir and over 5,000 faithful, including numerous governmental, civil, religious and traditional authorities.

The Mass was presided over by Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba, President of the Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (CEAST) and Archbishop of Saurimo – diocese of which Lwena is a suffragan; and among the numerous concelebrants, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, and Salesian Bishop Gaston Ruvezi, Bishop of Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

During the homily that preceded the rite of consecration, Archbishop Imbamba began by speaking of the great celebration that the diocese is experiencing: "This moment is an opportunity for us to pay a simple and heartfelt tribute to all the bishops who have had the honour and mission of guiding the fortunes of this diocese."

Archbishop Imbamba thanked Bishop Francisco Esteves Dias, who led the diocese from 1963 to 1978, Bishop José Prospero da Ascenção Puaty, Bishop of Lwena from 1978 to 2000, and Bishop Gabriel Mbilingue, present at the celebration, who governed the diocese from 2000 to 2008. "Allow me to underline in a very special way His Excellency Bishop Jesus Tirso Blanco, SDB, who guided the fortunes of this diocese with the ineffable love of a father and pastor for the last 14 years, from 2008 to 2022. To him and to the other pastors who have already reached the Father's Home, we add all the missionaries and catechists who have given their best for the salvation of the people who inhabit these lands of Moxico. uWe pray in honor of their memories that the eternal God will give them the happiness they deserve, "added the President of CEAST.

After commenting on the readings of the day, and emphasising the need to be "salt of the earth and light of the world", Archbishop Imbamba, addressing Bishop Lasarte said: “My dear brother Martín, the diocese of Lwena, which welcomes you with great joy, suffers from many evils, among which I can summarize the misery, the material, spiritual and cultural poverty that its people cry out with, underdevelopment, illiteracy, endemic diseases, the witchcraft mentality, the isolation of many communities due to the lack of decent means of communication and many others that cannot be tolerated with silence or indifference or conformity of the pastor... For this he needs not only the strength of God to remain firm, resolute, resistant and humble in this mission for the poor, the marginalised and those excluded from well-being, but above all he needs to have a father's heart, a heart capable of welcoming everyone, men and women, Catholics and non-Catholics, Christians and non-Christians, just and unjust, saints and sinners, in the same divine love that does not distinguish between people."

After the homily, the solemn rite of episcopal ordination took place, accompanied first by the prayerful silence of the thousands of faithful, then by the singing and jubilant acclamations of all those present once Martín Lasarte, a Salesian originally from Uruguay, with already over 30 years of missionary service in Angola, was consecrated and presented to the people as the new Bishop of the diocese of Lwena, with his episcopal insignia: pectoral cross, ring, mitre and pastoral.

At the end of the celebration, the new bishop of the diocese also wanted to share a message, in which he thanked all those present and those who contributed to his human, priestly, Salesian and missionary formation. Then he added: "I feel small when faced with the dignity of the bishop and the vastness of this territory; I feel small when faced with the richness of this culture; and before the great pastor who preceded me, Bishop Tirso Blanco, who was an extraordinary bishop. I feel small in the face of the pastoral challenges that await me, and the countless economic, social, cultural challenges... But, being so small, I can only carry small things: a small seed that can grow vigorously in everyone's heart; the salt of authenticity of the Christian life, which makes the Gospel attractive; and the candle of light: the transparent witness of our life of faith... Let us walk together in this beautiful mission of proclaiming all that the Lord has taught us, and let us continue to joyfully witness our faith to the brothers and sisters that God has placed on our path."

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