The ManicaPost
Sr Marcelline Mudambo
RETIRED Reverend Bishop Alexio Churu Muchabaiwa, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Mutare passed on peacefully to eternal life on Monday afternoon at Murambi Gardens Clinic, Mutare.
He was buried at Trashill Mission in Mutasa District yesterday.
Hundreds of mourners attended the burial as well as mass vigils that were held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Dominic’s High School in Mutare.
Born on June 21, 1939 in a family of six boys and one girl in Hwedza, under Headman Chigwedere in Chief Svosve’s area, he joined the seminary in 1957.
He was ordained a priest on August 24, 1968 at Mount St Mary’s Mission in Wedza under the Archdiocese of Harare.
After his ordination, the then Father Alexio Churu Muchabaiwa served at Makumbe Mission from 1969 to 1972.
In 1973, he went to Gaba Institute in Uganda where he acquired a Diploma in Pastoral Theology.
On his return in 1974, he was posted to St Mary’s Highfield and at the same time served as spiritual director of students at Chishawasha Major Seminary.
He was later appointed the rector of Chishawasha Major Seminary. Archbishop Robert Ndlovu, Bishop Emeritus Michael Bhasera, the late Bishop Martin Munyanyi, and Bishop Xavier Munyongani were among his students.
The late Bishop Muchabaiwa always marvelled at producing an archbishop and three bishops.
He later became vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Harare as well as the chaplain of the first African Mayor of Harare, Dr Tizirai Gwata.
On November 5, 1981, he was appointed bishop of the then Umtali, Zimbabwe, and consecrated bishop on February 21, 1982.
The late Bishop Muchabaiwa was warmly received in Mutare when he took office as bishop.
Since then, Mutare Diocese became his pleasant home till his death.
He celebrated his 25th Anniversary as a priest in 2007, and his Golden Jubilee on November 17, 2018.
The late Bishop Muchabaiwa retired from active ministry in 2016.
At the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference, he held several influential positions, including being the bishop chairman for the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, the Education Commission, Marriage and Family, Seminary Board and the ZCBC finance committee.
For two terms, he was the president of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Zimbabwe will never forget the late Bishop Muchabaiwa’s contribution as he consecrated the National Heroes Acre.
He also officiated at the burial of the first two liberation war stalwarts and national heroes who were interred at the national shrine, the late Cdes Josiah Tongogara and Jason Ziyapapa Moyo in 1980.
He will always be remembered for spearheading self-reliance programmes within the Diocese of Mutare and the establishment of small Christian communities.
He encouraged the faithful not to mix traditional practices and Christianity, especially kurova guva.
He encouraged local vocations to priesthood.
The late Bishop Muchabaiwa was a very humble and prayerful shepherd who always encouraged his priests to pray.
“I have always found that prayer is the most important element in my priesthood,” said the late Bishop Muchabaiwa, stressing that whatever good he did in his priestly ministry was through prayer.
“I pray that I become a saint one day,” he said.
May his soul rest in eternal peace!
