Seminarian assaults priest over homily   

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 11:19:53 +0000

By JACK MAPAPAYI

A SEMINARIAN at Mushindamo’s St Mary’s Catholic Parish is on the run after he assaulted a local parish priest, Fr Davis Samundengo, when the two differed over presentation of the homily.

The incident occurred on Tuesday around 20:00 hours at the priest’s house.

Both Mushindamo district commissioner Benson Ngambo and Solwezi Diocese pastoral coordinator Fr Sydney Lubinda confirmed the incident in separate interviews.

Fr Lubinda told the Daily Nation that Fr Samundengo was assaulted by Gideon Manda using an iron bar.

He explained that according to the priest, Brother Manda was required to present the homily to the parish priest before preaching to the congregation of which Manda did not oblige, hence the confrontation.

“The priest had insisted to hear it before it was preached in church and that was what started it,” Fr Lubinda said.

He said after supper, Manda came into the room where Fr Samundengo was watching TV and hit him from behind with a metal bar.

“And as we are speaking now Mr Manda is on the run while the priest is hospitalised at Solwezi General Hospital though the condition is stable,” he said.

He appealed to seminarians to be ready to learn and express well what they felt in their hearts by word of mouth.

Meanwhile, Mr Ngambo has expressed sadness at the incident and prayed that it will not repeat itself.

“Priests are there to unify us and also bring us back to the Lord, so it is disappointing to learn that people that are supposed to lead by example are the ones in the forefront doing the opposite,” the DC said.