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Articles by Marko Phiri
Denver archbishop asks prominent exorcist to step out of media spotlight for 1 year
"We ask the faithful to join us in praying for Fr. Ripperger and for the Society," said the archdiocese. The 62-year-old Ripperger, a Wyoming native, was ordained in 1997 for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a community of priests, which celebrates Mass according to the form of the Roman rite used prior to the Second Vatican Council. It is not clear when Ripperger departed the FSSP.
Trump administration extends TPS for Ukraine, Sudan, but uncertainty remains
The Trump administration on Oct. 18 extended protections from deportation to people from Ukraine and Sudan, allowing them to continue living legally in the U.S. for now. Temporary Protected Status grants the U.S. government the power to shield eligible migrants from deportation if they are from countries experiencing dangerous conditions such as war, disaster, or other unrest.
Q&A with Sr. Felistar Dube, improving lives of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in rural Zimbabwe Original
What other projects would you pursue if resources allowed? If resources were available, we would improve and expand the infrastructure of our accommodation and conferencing facilities so we become self-sustaining. Once we expand these, we could generate more income, which would also assist the community programs.
The Leo Chronicles: Brother Leo in Somalia
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Can ‘The Polygamist’ open the door for more Zimbabwean adaptations?
Opportunity for more: Whether for television or the big screen, the line wasn't exactly drawn but the message was clear: lobby an industry that is sitting on gems worthy of a repeat of The Polygamist.
ENTREVISTA | Hna. Carla Frey dirige en Angola la lucha contra la trata de personas
La trata de personas se ha convertido en un tema de debate urgente a nivel mundial en medio de la creciente desesperación económica de millones de personas en el continente africano. La hermana Carla Luisa Frey Bamberg, una religiosa scalabriniana que trabaja en Angola, se encuentra en primera línea de esta crisis.
Q&A with Sr. Carla Luisa Frey Bamberg, tackling human trafficking in Angola
From left, Scalabrinian Sr. Carla Luisa Frey Bamberg, Christopher Joseph and Blessed Bucon, colleagues from the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, after a workshop in Luanda, Angola (Courtesy of Carla Luisa Frey Bamberg) Human trafficking has become an urgent global talking point amid increasing economic desperation for millions of people on the African continent.
Q&A with Sr. Carla Luisa Frey Bamberg, tackling human trafficking in Angola
Human trafficking has become an urgent global talking point amid increasing economic desperation for millions of people on the African continent. Sr. Carla Luisa Frey Bamberg, a Scalabrinian nun working in Angola, finds herself on the front lines of this crisis.
Zimbabwe’s radio silence on Operation Dudula worrisome
South Africa’s vigilante groups that feed-off from the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the neighbouring country are on the rampage once again and Zimbabweans are at the receiving end, this time at health institutions. According to the results of South Africa’s 2022 census, Zimbabweans are by far the largest immigrant population at over one million or 35% followed by Mozambicans (18.7%), BaSotho (10.2%), Malawians (8.9%) and Britons (2.8%).
From Dakar to Luanda: Angola hosts infrastructure summit amid funding gap
Business Heads of State and Government, representatives of development finance institutions, and private investors meet in Luanda, Angola, in October to mobilise capital to finance Africa’s infrastructure projects amid an annual funding gap of over US$100 billion. The October 28 to 31 Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit is organised by the African Union Development Agency (Auda-Nepad), in partnership with the African Union Commission and Angola.
Bulawayo’s Catholic sisters turn to renewable energy
Local Green energy has become the buzzword of sustainable agriculture amid climate uncertainty, and Catholic sisters in Zimbabwe's second largest city have responded by setting up off-grid infrastructure to power their operations. The southern African country has not been spared disruption of hydro-based power generation triggered by climate-induced low rainfall, forcing the authorities to import electricity from neighbouring power utilities.
Q&A with Sr. Yvonne Sanyanga, addressing mental health amid Zimbabwe's hardships
I would recommend individual professional counseling services, where young people can be helped to process issues they face at personal, familial and church levels. Group therapy can also create a communal support system where they feel understood and less isolated. Life skills training programs such as financial literacy, job readiness, relationship building and conflict resolution can empower the youths to navigate their socioeconomic challenges more effectively.
Q&A with Sr. Yvonne Sanyanga, addressing mental health amid Zimbabwe's hardships
Carmelite Sr. Yvonne Sanyanga is a certified counseling psychologist who conducts workshops and counseling sessions for seminarians and lay people in Zimbabwe. The country's socioeconomic hardships are increasing mental health challenges for many and there is a shortage of mental health professionals, making Sanyanga's apostolate a necessary service.
Q&A with Sr. Delnise Silva, working with orphans in rural Zimbabwe Original
Delnise Silva, a Sister of Our Lady of Sorrows from Italy, has given her life to working with orphans in rural Zimbabwe. Her missionary congregation runs a school and an orphanage that houses children orphaned by HIV and AIDS in Chegutu and Mhondoro, some of the most impoverished districts in the northern part of the country. The number of AIDS-related deaths in Zimbabwe has eased due to government efforts, according to UNICEF.
What St. Francis and Brother Wolf teach us about cooperating with creation
The legend of St. Francis and Brother Wolf is a story not of taming, but of cooperation and mutual understanding, writes Nancy F. Castaldo. The legend stands as a reminder that true peace comes from cooperation, not domination, and that even our adversaries have a place in God's creation. (Nancy F.
Cropping season begins amid gloomy SADC weather outlook
Categories: Articles, Crop production Cropping season begins amid gloomy SADC weather outlook While SADC countries are upbeat about upscaling food production, the region’s climate experts paint a gloomy picture of the impact of climate on agriculture.
African countries step up agriculture innovation
Categories: Articles, Resource management African countries step up agriculture innovation The future of Africa’s agriculture lies in a mix of innovation and transformation, experts agree. But how this is achieved will differ from country to country where a one size fits all approach is bound to fail as the countries face different challenges.
Mixed feelings as land preps begin in Zimbabwe
Categories: Articles, Crop production Mixed feelings as land preps begin in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe is pulling out all the stops to court smallholders as cropping season begins amid muted activity from smallholder farmers. There are concerns that this planting season will be met with the same apathy seen in the last few years where poor rainfall forecasts and unusually long dry seasons kept many farmers away from their fields.
Private sector to drive Africa's food systems
Categories: Articles, Resource management Private sector to drive Africa’s food systems One of the major highlights this year in Africa’s food production matrix is a report that places the private sector at the centre of the continent’s efforts to upscale agriculture value chains.
Zimbabwe puts more wheels on the ground to drive agri sector
Categories: Articles, Mechanisation Zimbabwe puts more wheels on the ground to drive agri sector In the past few months, Zimbabwe has upscaled agriculture mechanisation, trumpeting tractors as major drivers of an ambitious project that will turn the sector into a multi-billion dollar industry. The country has in recent years turned to mechanised agriculture as the answer to increased production, raising hope that the sector could return to its glory days when it was a top foreign currency earner.
Francis, the comic strip: Trick-or-Treat
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Democracy becomes another ministry for sisters in 2024 election Original
Sr. Cheryl Clemons knows Nov. 5 will be a long day: As an election judge, she has to arrive at her polling place (a 20-minute drive) by 5 a.m. and will have to stay there until at least 7 p.m. But there's yet another task after that before she's done — one that fills her both with reverence and wonder.
Gay music teacher fired by diocese stars in off-Broadway play about his experience
When Matthew LaBanca was fired by the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, in 2021 for marrying his same-sex partner, he lost two jobs, health insurance and a cherished Catholic community. He also received scores of messages: "I'm in seminary and gay and don't know if I belong." "I am in the church and closeted because I'm afraid to say anything." "This happened to me, too." "So many people reached out sharing their stories, asking, 'What do I do?
Lake Victoria, once a source to uplift Kenya's poor, lures child labor
In the early morning light of this small town in western Kenya and beyond, boys as young as 5 years old aren't heading to school — rather, they make their way to nearby Lake Victoria to fish. Fishing is the primary economic activity in Port Victoria, a town on the shores of Lake Victoria along the Kenya-Uganda border. Here, fishing takes precedence over education.
Catholic sisters set up drug and alcohol rehab center in Zimbabwe Original
Amid a spike in drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe, Catholic sisters in the country's second city have set up a rehabilitation center to address what authorities say is an urgent public health crisis. , and the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood, popularly known as CPS nuns from their Latin name Congregatio Pretiosi Sanguinis, have responded by establishing one of a handful of such facilities in the city of Bulawayo.
All saints, all souls and all 'everybody else'? Original
I was cleaning up the yard, preparing for the upcoming winter when I found myself distracted by the upcoming feasts of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. When things float into my consciousness at random times, they always bring a lesson for me. We are all familiar with the Solemnity of All Saints, a celebration of the officially recognized saints in the Catholic tradition. While by no means perfect people, they each have enough "good" for each of us to use as examples of how to live our lives.
Transport blues strangle Zimbabwe’s smallholders, truckers
For years, smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe have faced a stubborn conundrum: how to get their produce to the market. Transport has remained a pain in the neck for thousands, frustrating producers of anything from perishable vegetables to grain and livestock. Farmers in rural districts that lie beyond Bulawayo’s city limits and run thriving horticulture projects routinely literally count their losses after produce fails to get to the market on time.
Día de los Muertos at the Catholic Worker
When my brother Joe died by suicide years ago, our family was devastated. Loved ones gathered around us, and in their presence our somber thoughts of Joe and his death were interspersed with wine, whiskey, camaraderie and community. It occurred to me that Joe's body should be there, right in the midst of us. My brother was a surfer, swimmer and lifeguard; as such, I thought, Joe's ashes should be cast into the sea. But no, you could not have a party with a dead body, or a burial at sea.
Zimbabwe avocados get China boost
Categories: Articles, Crop production Zimbabwe avocados get China boost After years of trying to penetrate the cut-throat Chinese horticulture market, Zimbabwe has inked a trade protocol that will see avocados from the Southern African country being sold in the Asian giant’s supermarkets. Zimbabwe has in recent years eyed China as a lucrative horticulture market, but numerous hurdles such as meeting international standards have denied producers entry into the Asian market.
Zimbabwe bets on fertiliser to boost agriculture production
Categories: Articles, Crop production Zimbabwe bets on fertiliser to boost agriculture production As planting season approaches, Zimbabwe is pulling all the stops to assure farmers of the availability of crucial farming inputs. Agriculture season and land preparation begins in earnest at the end of September going into October, and government is going the extra mile to cushion farmers from panicking.
Call to upscale food resilience through community horticulture
Categories: Articles, Crop protection Call to upscale food resilience through community horticulture Amid ongoing food and nutrition challenges, the United Nations has urged the government of Zimbabwe to upscale community horticulture projects. This is expected to drive resilience and food security as the country’s agriculture sector prepares for the coming rainy season.
Vendors or producers? Dilemma of youths and agriculture in Zimbabwe
Categories: Articles, Crop production Vendors or producers? Dilemma of youths and agriculture in Zimbabwe Tafadzwa Nehumba’s chosen sector as a street vendor is agriculture produce, fruits to be specific. He can be found at his regular spot in downtown Bulawayo selling bananas, apples, oranges and grapes from his cart.
Zimbabwe attracts youth to farming
Categories: Articles, News Zimbabwe attracts youth to farming Zimbabwe is upping its drive to attract youths into farming by targeting school children. In a country routinely facing food deficits and a limping economy marked by high levels of unemployment, authorities are adopting the “catch them young” mantra.
PRRI report reveals shifting dynamics of US religious landscape
White Catholics are the in the United States with a median age that is 10 years older than Americans as a whole, according to a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute. Based on data from about 500,000 interviews over a 10-year period, the 2023 PRRI Census of American Religion, released Aug. 29, also finds that more than a quarter of Americans — 27% — .
A 'Nuevo Momento' for Hispanic Catholic organizations is emerging
Almost 45% of Catholics in the United States — a number that will continue growing in the coming decades. This means the Catholic Church in America will become increasingly Hispanic. Undoubtedly, this is the time to step into a "Nuevo Momento" ("new moment") to serve the Hispanic community in this country.
Understanding charism through acts of hospitality
My sister was helping me make Mercy Bingo cards with words that had to do with religious life and the Sisters of Mercy. She asked "What is a charism?" except she pronounced it in a way that was funny. I have heard people say it wrong. This was a new pronunciation, and it sounded like the first part of charcoal when actually the h is silent. I didn't want her to feel bad since she was helping me, so I just said the word correctly. However, I was laughing to myself.
Polls show pro-life advocates face uphill battle in state abortion ballot referendums
Voters in states with abortion referendums on the ballot in November broadly appear poised to approve the efforts to codify abortion protections, according to polls of those contests. Since the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs vs.
Your letters: Women deacons, Network, Heritage and Palestine
Following are NCR reader responses to recent news articles, opinion columns and theological essays with letters that have been edited for length and clarity. Women deacons This is in support of the opinion article by Fr. Dan Horan in which he says it is time to ordain women to the diaconate (ncronline.org, Sept. 5, 2024). This would be a step in the direction of treating women as equals to men.
Renewable energy boosts Catholic sisters' sustainability in Zimbabwe
Green energy has become the buzzword of sustainable agriculture amid climate uncertainty, and Catholic sisters in Zimbabwe's second largest city have responded by setting up off-grid infrastructure to power their operations. The southern African country has not been spared disruption of hydro-based power generation triggered by climate-induced low rainfall, forcing the authorities to import electricity from neighboring power utilities.
World Bank raises concerns about women and cattle ownership in Zimbabwe
Categories: Articles, Livestock and game World Bank raises concerns about women and cattle ownership in Zimbabwe Silibaziso watches as a herdboy prepares to paddock about twenty head of cattle at her village in Plumtree. The border town lies about 100 kilometres southwest of Bulawayo and is known for cattle that stray into neighbouring Botswana.
Give women in Zimbabwe land: World Bank
Categories: Articles, Resource management Give women in Zimbabwe land: World Bank The World Bank has painted a grim picture about women and landownership in Zimbabwe at a time government says it is promoting women’s involvement in the agriculture sector. Women make up the bulk of subsistence farmers in Zimbabwe, with some estimates that they form 70 percent of the sector.
UN agency assists SADC farmers address swine fever
Categories: Articles, Livestock and game UN agency assists SADC farmers address swine fever As more people take up farming in the Southern African region, experts are concerned about a dearth of skills. Despite the promise of economic viability, agriculture is seeing new entrants with little hands-on knowledge, effectively compromising growth.
Zimbabwe fisheries record growth
Categories: Articles, Resource management Zimbabwe fisheries record growth In recent years, Zimbabwe has experienced a burst of aquaculture investments as the country attempts to diversify its agriculture production portfolio. Zimbabwe was once one of the continent’s major producers of fish, with exports to international markets that included the European Union.
Zimbabwe turns to Tajikistan for agriculture silver bullet
Categories: Articles, News Zimbabwe turns to Tajikistan for agriculture silver bullet Zimbabwe’s foray into international agricultural support has seen the country extending its courtship to unexpected destinations. In June Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was sent to Tajikistan to attend the Dushanbe Water Process’s third High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”.
Zimbabwe's struggle with cattle sales
Categories: Articles, Livestock and game Zimbabwe’s struggle with cattle sales For years it became normal that rural livestock owners in Zimbabwe would respond to a drought year by selling off cattle due to a lack of pastures as many could not afford to buy feed. Like many farming inputs, stock feed has not been spared the economic forces that have driven prices, making it difficult to sustain agriculture operations.
Zimbabwe's dairy churns with increased milk production
Categories: Articles, News Zimbabwe’s dairy churns with increased milk production Amid a troubled agriculture industry, Zimbabwe’s dairy industry is weathering the storm with increased milk production. Drought has decimated beef cattle, leaving thousands dead, but the dairy sector is experiencing a resurgence, according to numbers released by the Agriculture Ministry.
GMOs return to haunt Zimbabwe
Categories: Articles, Crop production GMOs return to haunt Zimbabwe Zimbabwe’s long running efforts to ensure food security have returned to haunt the country regarding the adoption of GMOs. In the aftermath of a devastating drought that has left millions insecure in terms of food supply, and after subsistence farmers watched as their crops wilted, how the country deals with the food crisis has become even more urgent.
Zimbabwe’s dam construction a slow drip
Zimbabwe is moving full steam ahead with its dam construction programme as the country touts irrigation as the panacea to food security. The only thing that is standing in the way of those ambitions is funding. In March, government announced that it was accelerating the construction of thirteen major multi-milliondollar dam projects, raising hopes that one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country was on course to meet deadline.
Greens shortage stalks Zimbabwe
Categories: Articles, Crop production Greens shortage stalks Zimbabwe Zimbabwe’s agriculture commodities market is experiencing mixed fortunes as the country struggles with ensuring basic products are not only available but affordable amid currency volatility. The country’s open air vegetable markets have in recent years become the pulse of the performance of the agriculture sector, proving insights into both commodity availability and pricing.
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