What does it look like when a diocese takes children’s missionary formation seriously in raising the next generation of missionaries? The Catholic Diocese of Solwezi in Zambia has offered a compelling answer, and the rest of the Church would do well to take notes.
The Diocese’s Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) recently wrapped up an intensive, week-long formation programme that produced 57 newly trained Holy Childhood Animators. The programme, known as the School of Missionary Animation (SOMA 1), concluded with a graduation ceremony at St. Paul Parish, Mutanda; a moment that marked not just the end of a training course, but the beginning of a broader mission.
More Than a Training Programme but Raising the Next Generation of Missionaries
What made this initiative stand out was its reach. Among the 57 graduates; 35 women and 22 men, were participants from neighbouring countries including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. The gathering drew Catechists, school teachers, religious sisters, seminarians, and young people from across the parishes of Mumbezhi Deanery, creating a rich, cross-cultural space for formation and missionary exchange.
The Dean of Mumbezhi Deanery, Fr. Vincent Chola, challenged the graduates to move beyond theory and bring what they had learned into direct contact with the children in their home parishes. Having previously served as PMS Director for the Diocese, Fr. Chola spoke with both pastoral authority and personal conviction.
“Now that you have been empowered with the necessary knowledge and skills, we call upon you, with the guidance of your Church leaders, to passionately impart the content of missionary animation and formation to the children under your pastoral care,” he told the graduates.
Children as Agents of Mission
At the heart of the Holy Childhood programme lies a principle that is as simple as it is powerful: children praying for children, children evangelising children, children helping children worldwide. This peer-to-peer model of mission flips the conventional script, positioning children not merely as recipients of faith formation, but as active participants in spreading it.
Fr. Chola was clear that animators cannot work in isolation. He called on parish leaders, Small Christian Community (SCC) heads, and parents to walk alongside the newly trained animators, providing the support, accountability, and role modelling that will determine how far this mission goes. Adults in parishes, he noted, have a particular responsibility to embody the faith so authentically that children are inspired to do the same among their peers.
The ceremony closed with a prayer for the Missionary Rosary, a beloved tradition of the Holy Childhood movement, as Fr. Chola entrusted the entire endeavour to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A Model Worth Replicating; And a Call to Every Diocese
The Solwezi Diocese has demonstrated something every diocese across Africa and beyond can learn from: structured, intentional, and cross-border missionary formation for children is not only possible; it is transformative.
To every diocese yet to invest in a dedicated Holy Childhood formation programme: this is your moment.
Consider what a programme like SOMA 1 could do in your context. Imagine trained animators in every parish, equipped to disciple children, mobilise peer evangelism, and build a generation of missionaries from the ground up. The need is real. The model exists. The question is whether your diocese will act on it.
Here is where to begin:
- Connect with your national Pontifical Mission Societies office to explore Holy Childhood resources and training frameworks already available to you.
- Identify potential animators, catechists, teachers, religious, youth leaders, who already have a heart for children’s ministry.
- Engage your deaneries to coordinate a SOMA-style training that brings parishes together, just as Solwezi did.
- Invite your bishop and parish priests to champion the programme publicly, lending it the pastoral weight it deserves.
The children in your parishes are not just the future of the Church, they are the mission field and the missionaries of today. Solwezi has shown the way. Now it’s your turn.
For more information on starting a Holy Childhood animation programme in your diocese, contact your regional Pontifical Mission Societies office or visit the PMS national coordination centre in your country.
