An ‘angel’s’ last mile

Only the Covid-19 pandemic managed to prevent thousands of people to witness her last mile on Tuesday.

Otherwise, it was clear during the entire memorial service that the late Sister Germana Munari had touched countless lives before she finally succumbed to an illness on Monday, aged 83.

For a start, where Mlambe Mission Hospital at Lunzu in Blantyre exists, her name does too. The two were just synonymous with each other. She had been with the facility since 1981, serving as its medical director until her demise. 

Archbishop Thomas Msusa rightly described the fallen Franciscan sister of the Catholic Church -a medical doctor by profession- as a “face of true devotion to the ministry.”

“Angels exist and in her, we had the privilege to see and interact with one. Not only did Sister Germana touch the lives of multitudes through her medical missionary; she was literally the voice of the voiceless. She did more than wish mankind well. She was the good they needed,” Msusa said. 

The Bishop added that the deceased kept repelling calls for her to retire owing to her age saying she argued that she had come to Malawi to serve.

He explained: “She categorically said she could not retire when there was still social ills among the country’s poor. She vowed to die serving and it seems God has finally granted her wish. She will be greatly missed.”

Among other notable works in her ministry, Sister Germana is renowned for feeding the hungry including in prisons, rehabilitating churches, personally paying medical fees for those in need and tuition fees to needy students.

The deceased started her missionary work in Malawi at Namwera under Mangochi Diocese before moving to Blantyre Archdiocese in 1981 where she served until her death.

She died on Monday from a heart disease that had troubled her for some time.

The remains of Sister Germana have been buried at Limbe Cathedral Cemetery in Blantyre