The Bishop of Karonga Commends “Unique Approach” to Service

His Excellency Martin Anwel Mtumbuka has served as bishop of Karonga, Malawi, since the diocese’s establishment in 2010. Cross Catholic Outreach began partnering with his diocese in 2019, and we were recently blessed to interview him at our office in Florida. We were honored when the bishop stressed the importance of our approach to integral human development — supporting outreaches that meet both the material and spiritual needs of the poor.

“A number of popes have reminded us again and again to help people in an integral way — not only because this is the creation of the popes, but [of] our Lord himself. That’s what he did. He asked for faith from those he interacted with — to believe in him [as the] Son of God and their Savior — but he also fed the hungry and healed the sick, and it is an invitation to all of us to do the same,” Bishop Mtumbuka shared.

“Cross Catholic Outreach — in terms of that approach of not only concerning yourself with the material well being of the people you serve, but also their spiritual wellbeing — has a very unique approach. And we would really like to applaud you for this, because at the end of the day, we are a Church; at the end of the day, we are people who are continuing with the work of Christ. So, yes, we want people to eat well, we want people to dress well, we want people to have clean water. But at the end of the day, we want people to see the face of God.”

Watch Bishop Mtumbuka’s full interview at CrossCatholic.org/interviews.