Archdiocese of Kasama Youth Page

The Archdiocese of Kasama is the oldest diocese where Catholic faith first came to Zambia. The first presence of the Catholic Priests in the present Archdiocese of Kasama was at Mambwe Mwela in 1891 by the Missionaries of Africa, generally called the White Fathers. By God’s providence, while these fathers were travelling from Mponda in the south of Malawi, on their way to Karonga in Tanganyika, on

e of them became seriously ill and they had to interrupt this journey at Mambwe Mwela. The Mambwe people received them well and so they stayed building the first settlement. From there the fathers spread the Gospel to the Bemba tribes of the Region. Eventually, in 1895 the first Mission station was established at Kayambi. Two years later the Nyasa Vicariate was established separated from Tanganyika to which until now it belonged. This new vicariate comprised the whole North and East of Zambia together with the whole of Malawi. Bishop Joseph Dupont, nicknamed Motomoto (fire fire) was appointed the first Vicar apostolic of this Vicariate. He was the first Bishop consecrated on the Zambian soil, at Kayambi, 15th August 1897. The missionaries had to negotiate with the colonial government and the chiefs to allow them to open new missions. The British Governor allowed them to settle in Ituna area, which is within Kasama. They finally settled in Chilubula in 1899 which became the first cathedral. The missionaries invoked the name of Mary as Help of Christians upon the new parish thus ever since she has been the patroness of the Archdiocese. Before the Bemba Chief Mwamba Chipoya died in 1898, he left his territory of the Ituna to be ruled by Bishop Dupont until a new successor would be found. As it happened, Bishop Dupont ruled the people as chief for over a year. From that time the archbishop of Kasama has been associated with the chieftaincy of Mwamba and is always given the title of Mwamba Chipoya by the royal establishment. Even though Bishop Dupont died in Tunisia on 19th March 1930 his remains were brought back in 2000 to the church and people he ruled and is buried in Chilubula Church which was his first cathedral. This association of the Church with the Bemba people did facilitate the opening of more new missions among the Bemba and their conquered tribes. With more missions opened and the territory being so vast, divisions of Nyasa Vicariate became inevitable. Thus, on 28th January 1913, it was divided into Bangweolo and Nyasa Vicariates. The division gave a better chance for the development of this new Vicariate of Bangweolo which on 23rd May 1933 had its Northern part separated as Abercorn (Mbala) Vicariate and soon became Diocese of Mbala and later Mpika. Another division took place on 10th July 1952, when the Western part of Bangweolo Vicariate, was separated and created into the Fort Rosebery Apostolic Prefecture which is now Diocese of Mansa. It became the Diocese of Kasama on 25th April 1959, at the establishment of the Hierarchy in Zambia. Eventually, on 12th June 1969 it was raised to the status of the Archdiocese of Kasama. The Auxiliary bishop of Mansa Rt. Clement Chabukasansha was appointed first archbishop of the new Archdiocese of Kasama. A further addition of territory to the Archdiocese happened on Pentecost day, 23rd May 1999, with the permission of the Holy See, when parishes to the North of Kasama that belonged to Mbala/Mpika Diocese were handed over to the Archdiocese thus increasing not only the geographical boundaries but also parishes to 23 that year. After the retirement of Archbishop Clement Chabukasansha, Most Rev. Elias Mutale, who was bishop of Mansa was appointed to the Archdiocese and took over office in 1973. He died in tragic road accident in Lusaka on 12th February 1990 and was replace by Archbishop James Mwewa Spaita who also was bishop of Mansa before. He was archbishop from 24th February 1991 till his retirement on 16th May 2009. He settled in Chilubula Parish till his death on 4th November 2014. On 12th January 2012, Bishop of Mpika Rt. Rev Ignatius Chama was appointed archbishop of Kasama by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. He took possession of the Archdiocese on 28th April 2012

The archdiocese has now 34 parishes with 4 sub-parishes, all with resident priests ministering to the people. Sub-parishes are being grown into becoming parishes. As metropolitan province it has only two suffragan dioceses of Mansa and Mpika.