Golden Jubilee at Kopa

On Pentecost Sunday on 12 June 2011, Charles Lwanga Parish at Kopa celebrated its Golden Jubilee.  It was big feast, well prepared by Kopa parish.  Bishop Ignatius Chama presided over the Holy Eucharist. It is a double Pentecost he said. 50 days after Easter the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles and 50 years ago the first Missionaries established Kopa Mission. The four priests coming from the parish were all present:  Fr. Justin Choma, ordained in 1968;  Fr. Daniel Kashimoto ordained in 1990;  Fr. Kingsley Ndawa ordained in 2002 and Fr. Sefelino Chibesa ordained in 2005. Together with a good number of priests and sisters and of course all the faithfull from many centres of St. Charles Lwanga parish Holy Mass was celebrated.

The Stella Girls are dancing

It was Bishop Adolf Fürstenberg who opened the Mission in 1961.  Kopa was seperated from the Mother-parish Chalabesa and got 12 centers in the beginning. The patron saint of Kopa is St. Charles Lwanga from the Ugandan Martyrs, his feast is on 3 June.

In the beginning there was only a simple house of bricks covered with a grass roof. Fr. Furrer from Serenje together with Fr. Ludwig Bergmann and Brother Heinrich Furth from Chalabesa were the first to shift to Kopa, near the Chibolya. Chief Kopa (Paul Mwape Muchonka) welcomed the Missionaries (White Fathers). Later the Mission shifted to the place were it is now, near Kalilantuntu. In 1976 the mission was closed again, due to lack of priests, only to be reopend eleven years later by two fidei donum priests from Mainz in Germany, Fr. Klaus Holzamer and Fr. Thomas Matthaei. The current parish priest is Fr. Marc Chitamaluka and his team, Fr. Teddy Chilufya and Fr. Kalasani Ronald.

Bishop Chama receives Gifts

After Mass the the feast continued with dances and songs. All in all it was a celebration to be remebered for a long time. Ad multos Annos Kopa!

Gathered for the Feast