Father Justin Mulenga

A CATHOLIC priest from Zambia has been making contacts with Islanders during a visit to Jersey this month.

Father Justin Mulenga is visiting from the St Francis Xavier Catholic parish in Mbala, in the north-east of the country, and is due to take part in a number of overseas aid celebrations at the end of the month, including the Big Picnic in the Park.

He also recently met the Island’s Knights of St Columba and a number of churches to give an insight into his home parish and was due to meet with the Island’s Catholic Dean, Monsignor Nicholas France, in the coming days.

As part of his visit Fr Mulenga is also trying to attract support for a project to replace the thatched roofs of three churches within his home parish with tin ones which will last much longer.

Each roof costs around £700 to replace, according to Fr Mulenga. ‘I am here to thank all the people involved in organising fundraising activities and the people who regularly contribute to overseas aid projects,’ he said.

‘I hope that this spirit of sharing and spirit of service will continue. It is wonderful when people come together for a worthy cause and to give hope to those less privileged in other parts of the world.’

A number of groups and Islanders have already expressed an interest in supporting the roof project, which, according to the priest, will enable more people in his parish to worship in their own area rather than travel long distances to church.

There are, he added, also 43 other stations across his parish on which he hoped to be able to upgrade the roofs in the future.