By Leonard Ncube
YOUTHS including Missionary Childhood were the majority when the Archdiocese of Bulawayo held the diocese musical competitions at St. Patrick’s Parish in Bulawayo last Saturday.
Archbishop Alex Thomas challenged parishes to make sure youths were the majority in their choirs or risk being disqualified.
He said this was in observance of the fact that 2018 is the year of the youths who are the future of the church. Parishes obliged with Missionary Childhood, youths and young adults making the core of the choir line-ups.
In his annual message for local celebrations of World Youth Day a few months ago, Pope Francis called on adults in the Catholic Church to have courage and give young people “important responsibilities.”
“Young people need to know that someone truly believes in you,” he said. “Please know that the Pope has confidence in you, that the Church has confidence in you! For your part, have confidence in the Church!”
The competition song was Bazali lilomlandu, a hymn for the year of the youth for 2018 composed by Fr. Alex Sikhohliso Ndlovu, parish priest for St. Patricks in Makokoba. Padre Pio Parish of Emakhandeni emerged the winners with 408 points beating more than 20 parishes from across the dioceses who
participated on the day.
There was a tight contest among St. Patrick’s, St. Mary’s Minor Basilica and Holy Spirit (Nkulumane 12) who got 384, 383 and 382 points to finish 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.
Other contestants finished in the following positions,
Christ the King of Hillside (number 5), Lady of Lourdes-Khumalo (6), St. Pius-Njube (7), St. Adolf-Magwegwe (8), St. Andrew’s-Queens Park (9), Uganda Martyrs-Luveve (10), St. Bernard’s Minor Seminary-Pumula (11), St. John’s-Nkulumane (12), St. Anthony-Barham Green (13), Our Lady of Fatima-Pumula South (14), Holy Trinity-Cowdray Park (15), Holy Family-Nketa (16), Holy Cross-Tshabalala (17), Body and Blood of Christ-Kenilworth (18), Our Lady Queen of Peace Entumbane (19) and St Henry of Thorngrove who were number 20.