Anno di Noviziato 2021-22
On August 02, 2021, 18 Novices from different jurisdictions of AFCOF were vested with a Franciscan Habit and began their canonical year at San Damiano Novitiate House in Itimpi, Kitwe.
The Province of The Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia had 13 newly vested Novices: Innocent Kondwani SOKO, Nathan KAUNDA, Joseph MULENGA, Honest CHILESHE, Damian CHISHA, Henry Mwenda MUSOMPO, Francisco MUKUKA, Godfrey NKHOMA, Kelvin KABWE, Venasio BANDA, Andrew MUYAMBO and including 2 of the Angolan origin: Alberto Francisco Pedro LUKOMBO and Rafel Cuxti ALBERTO. The Province of St. Francis of Assisi in Kenya had 3 Novices: Aloycious Otieno MANYALA, Joseph Irungu WANGUI and Pascal Mwagambo ZIRO. The Custody of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Tanzania had 2 Novices: Philemon Francis MSUYA and Alphonce Adamson LYAKURWA. They were vested by the Vicar Provincial, Friar Matthew Kayombo MUKOSAYI.

Professione semplice e Professione solenne
On August 07, 2021, the number of Friars in the Province of The Franciscan Protomartyrs in Zambia increased by 4 Novices who made their Temporary Vows: Augustine Noel DAMA (MAL), Stanislaus Kabwe SAMPA (ZAM), Mathews BANDA (ZAM) and Brown TEMBO (ZAM) and 5 Temporary Professed Friars who made their Solemn Vows: Henerico CHUNGA (MAL), Anthony Chileshe KABAMBA (ZAM), James Gede SYAMUCHIMBA (ZAM), Obino Joseph Chishala CHANSHI (ZAM) and John Ganizani KACHINGA (ZAM).
The Vicar Provincial Friar Matthew Kayombo MUKOSAYI received and accepted the Vows of the Friars. In his homily, the Vicar Provincial reminded those who were making the vows that by making the Evangelical Counsels: Chastity, Poverty and Obedience, they were invited to the radical following and imitated the person of Christ in totality. The life of Evangelical Counsels is a call to perfection by their personal response to God’s calling. He further went on reminding them that their professing of Evangelical Counsels meant to be at the service of the Kingdom of God and mother Church. As such they were coming to be useful instruments to bring about salvation. By being such instruments, they were to be surrendering their lives each day following the will of God. He further challenged them that they were to be good examples to the materialistic world in their embrace of the Evangelical Counsel of poverty that God is an ultimate source of everything and HE alone is enough for all. He exhorted them to put on a joyful face as to radiate joy to the sad world in which we are living. Lastly and not the least, the Vicar Provincial fraternally challenged them to be fulfilling their embraced commitment in the fraternity as friars of the Convent, in the fraternity so that they can bring their youthful energies and talents to the communities they would be sent.

Friar Mathews KASONGO Provincial Secretary