On a Sunday in November, in the parish of Saint Paul the Apostle at Bwembya in Kasama, Zambia, thirty-six women took their place within the Catholic Women's League, joining a long tradition of lay service that asks people to give themselves to a common work. Presiding over the Mass, Fr. Nicholas Chipoya reminded them that devotion lasts beyond the first hopeful days of membership, and that nothing is lost in labouring for God. His words also reached past the newly commissioned, inviting every Catholic not yet part of a lay group to step into the shared labour of the Church.
36 Women Commissioned Into Catholic Women's League in Kasama West Deanery, Zambia
There is no loss in working for God.
Mark
Thirty-six women commissioned in one Mass. Why is that worth reporting?
Mimi
It marks a visible step in parish life. These women made vows and were formally received into the League at Bwembya on November 8.
Luke
Worth saying, though, that the report is short. We have the number, the date and the place, but not who the women are.
Mark
What did Fr. Chipoya actually ask of them?
Mimi
Two things: honour their vows and stay committed to serving God all their lives. He said there is no loss in working for God.
Luke
That is a homily, not a program. The report doesn't say what the League will do in practice.
Mark
He also spoke to people outside the League.
Mimi
Yes. He encouraged Catholics who belong to no lay organisation to join one, saying Christians should not be idle.
Luke
Whether anyone answers that call isn't something this report can tell us.
Mark
And his own role?
Mimi
He is Archdiocesan Pastoral Coordinator, parish priest at Bwembya and chaplain of the League in the deanery, so he sits at several points in the structure.
Luke
Right, and that's confirmed. Anything beyond that, like growth in membership, is unreported.
El Pulso
- Thirty-six women were formally commissioned into the Catholic Women's League at Bwembya Parish on November 8, 2026.
- Fr. Nicholas Chipoya urged the new members to keep their vows for life, not just in the early enthusiasm of joining.
- The priest insisted there is no loss in working for God, promising that faithfulness will be rewarded with eternal life.
- His call went out to the wider congregation: Catholics outside any lay organisation should join one and stop remaining idle.
- The commissioning has settled into the Kasama West Deanery, with its effect on new lay participation still to be seen in the months ahead.
On a Sunday in November, in the parish of Saint Paul the Apostle at Bwembya in Kasama, Zambia, thirty-six women took their place within the Catholic Women's League, joining a long tradition of lay service that asks people to give themselves to a common work. Presiding over the Mass, Fr. Nicholas Chipoya reminded them that devotion lasts beyond the first hopeful days of membership, and that nothing is lost in labouring for God. His words also reached past the newly commissioned, inviting every Catholic not yet part of a lay group to step into the shared labour of the Church.
On Sunday, November 8, 2026, thirty-six women stood at Saint Paul the Apostle Bwembya Parish in Kasama and were commissioned into the Catholic Women's League. The Mass brought them into the League's work across the Kasama West Deanery.
Fr. Nicholas Chipoya, who serves as Pastoral Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Kasama, parish priest at Bwembya, and chaplain of the League in the deanery, presided. In his homily he asked the women to honour their vows and to keep serving God throughout their lives, not only at the start.
He spoke plainly about the cost of such service: there is no loss in working for God, and faithfulness will be rewarded with eternal life. He then congratulated the new members and turned his words to the wider congregation, urging Catholics who belong to no lay organisation to join one and to take an active part in God's work.
The report, drawn from Radio Lutanda and carried by AMECEA, leaves the women's names and the specific tasks ahead unrecorded. It is the priest's charge, to keep faith and bring others in, that will show its weight in the months to come.
On Sunday, November 8, 2026, thirty-six women stood at Saint Paul the Apostle Bwembya Parish in Kasama, Zambia, and were commissioned as members of the Catholic Women's League. The commissioning took place during a Mass, and it brought the women into the League's work in the Kasama West Deanery.
The Mass was presided over by Fr. Nicholas Chipoya. He holds two roles in the Archdiocese of Kasama: he is its Pastoral Coordinator, and he is parish priest at Bwembya. He is also the Chaplain of the Catholic Women's League in Kasama West Deanery, which made him the natural person to receive the new members.
In his homily, Fr. Chipoya spoke directly to the women being commissioned. He urged them to honour the vows they had made and to stay committed to serving God for the whole of their lives, not only in the early days of membership.
He also made a plain argument about the cost of that commitment. There is no loss, he told them, in working for God. He assured the women that their faithfulness and dedication would be rewarded with eternal life.
He congratulated all thirty-six of them. Then he turned his message outward to the wider congregation. Catholics who do not belong to any lay organisation, he said, should consider joining one. His reasoning was that Christians should not remain idle, and that they should take an active part in the work of God.
The account comes from Radio Lutanda and was carried by AMECEA. It does not give the women's names, the number of parishes they come from, or the specific activities the League will ask of them. What it does record is the date, the place, the number commissioned, and the priest's charge: keep your vows, and bring others into the work. Whether that invitation draws new members to lay groups in the deanery is the thing to watch in the months ahead.
Citas Notables
There is no loss in working for God; faithfulness and dedication will be rewarded with eternal life.— Fr. Nicholas Chipoya, in his homily (paraphrased)
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