Missio has a special, long-standing partnership with St Peter’s Major Seminary in Zomba, whereby supporters can sponsor the training of a seminarian or future priest. You may have read the condensed version of the Rector’s message in Mission Today. Here is Fr Daniel’s full message:
Our Seminary is an inter-diocesan and national theological seminary, offering a five-year formation program. Founded by the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, the seminary first opened its doors in January 1977. Hence, the seminary has been in existence for 48 years now, and in two years’ time, we will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee.
The motto for the seminary is Duc in Altum, Latin for ‘put out into the deep’ (Luke 5:6), the words that Jesus said to Peter when he first encountered him, prompting him to go into deep water and lower his nets for a catch.
The challenges we faced in 2025
The past year of 2025 has been yet another very challenging year. Firstly, it was the year of general elections (on 16 September 2025 Malawians went to polls) and the situation had become tense due to political mudslinging. Our economy was affected and politicians spent a lot of money on election campaigning for their selfish gains, neglecting the plight of the poor.
In the heat of their political campaigns, there were issues of mismanagement and corruption leading to the devaluation of the local currency. As a result, the cost of goods on the market almost tripled, so sustainability became difficult. As such, the panic in our camp continues since we cannot not fully support our budget.
The cost of goods on our market – even up to now – has become very unpredictable. This has brought uncertainty and made it difficult to plan properly.
Secondly, we received poor rains in the last growing season, bringing about untold hunger. Most families of our seminarians and formators have been affected. Most people are struggling with what to eat and where to find it.
Events and celebrations
Despite such drawbacks, we joyfully witnessed 27 seminarians getting ordained as deacons on 24 May 2025. In the history of the seminary, this is the highest number of seminarians to be ordained deacons at once.
In the same year, 24 deacons received priestly ordination. We closed the academic year on 5 July 2025, and the seminarians returned to their respective dioceses for their pastoral experiences in local parishes.
On 27 September 2025, we opened the 2025/2026 Academic Year with a total of 125 seminarians. Among these are 15 young men who belong to the Order of Capuchins, while two belong to the Missionaries of Mary Immaculate. There are 10 resident priest/teachers and formators, and 22 support staff.
Looking ahead
We foresee this academic year of 2026 to be more challenging. As already stated, the economy of Malawi has nearly collapsed. The local currency is not stable and keeps on fluctuating. The impact of the continuous devaluations is being felt now more than before. The cost of goods on the market keeps on skyrocketing.
Despite such a sad and sour economic front, we are joyful for the continued growth of vocations, as testified by the huge numbers of young men wanting to study for the priesthood. As already remarked, in the just-ended academic year, we got the highest number of seminarians that were ordained deacons insofar as the history of the seminary is concerned.
Work is prayer
The overall objective of the seminary is to provide a thorough human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation so that the seminarians may become zealous pastors in the service of Christ, his Church and its mission in the world today.
Seminarians are also engaged in various kinds of services within the seminary community, such as pig rearing, fish farming, chicken rearing and vegetable growing. This is to encourage them to appreciate manual work and self-reliance.
Borrowing one famous dictum from the Benedictine Spirituality, ora et labora (to work is to pray or work and pray), the seminarians take part in caring for their common home through manual work. Through manual work, not only do seminarians help to make their own home habitable, but also help in a concrete way to provide seminary necessities by their own hands.
Fr Dr Daniel, Rector