By Br. Alfonce Kugwa
St. Richards Parish in Murambinda was recently handed over to Mutare Diocese by the Archdiocese of Harare on 3 July this year. Now St. Richards belongs to Mutare Diocese after having been under the service of the Archdiocese of Harare for many years. Murambinda falls under Manicaland Province but the parish was being served by the Archdiocese of Harare for a long time. At one time it was being run by the Franciscan missionaries. The Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Harare, Fr. Kennedy Muguti, representing Archbishop Robert Ndlovu, handed over the parish to Mutare Diocese which was represented by Bishop Paul Horan at a ceremony graced by hundreds of parishioners from around Buhera.
In a statement of agreement of transfer, Fr. Muguti said the Archdiocese was pleased to hand over St. Richards Parish which covers the four districts of Buhera. He said the property and inventory that belonged to St. Richards under the supervision of the Archdiocese of Harare would not be removed but would remain to serve the interests of the parish under its new leadership.
“We are in the process of transfer which starts on 3 July and ends on 31 December 2018. Concerning the inventory, no parish property or assets will be removed from the parish except personal property. The inventory will be handed over to Mutare Diocese signed by Most Rev. Christopher Ndlovu and witnessed by Rev Fr. Kennedy Muguti and also signed by Rt. Rev. Paul Horan and witnessed by Rt. Rev. Raymond Mupandasekwa, Bishop of Chinhoyi,” said Fr. Muguti.
Receiving the parish, Bishop Horan thanked the people of Buhera for working closely with the Archdiocese of Harare’s administration in running the parish and encouraged them to continue working flat out in drawing more people to God.
“We want to thank Archbishop Ndlovu, Fr. Muguti and the whole Archdiocese of Harare for organising this. We welcome the idea that Fr. Richard Mushuku who belongs to the Archdiocese of Harare and has been manning the place will continue serving St. Richards until December to help Fr. Chetse who has been appointed to the place to know the community and its people,” Bishop Horan said.
St. Richards parish will now fall under Rusape Deanery comprising such missions as St. Theresa Chiduku, St. Joseph Rusape, St. Simon Stock and St. Judes Nyazura.