Singida Meeting and Profile on Postulants

At our last General Chapter, we decided that men serving in the Tanzanian Mission would try to get together twice a year. The great distances that separate us means that it takes some good planning to accomplish this task. Last year, the perpetually professed members gathered in Singida for a week of prayer, meetings, and socializing. It was a good week and we decided to go back to the same place this year. Singida is about half way between our men in Morogoro-Dar es Salaam and Butiama-Buhemba. The pastoral center, where we stay, is run by the Diocese of Singida. We had a good meeting room, a lovely chapel, good meals, and comfortable rooms.

The restaurant was very nice and the food was good. Emmanuel and Fr. Andrzej had no complaints!

After a day of travel, we arrived at the pastoral center on Tuesday of Easter week and began with a retreat day, led by a Precious Blood priest who works in Singida. Our meeting days were Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with Saturday serving as another travel day.

Fr. Phillip, Fr. Yohana, Fr. Andrzej presided during these days, with Joseph, Vitalis, and Br. Mosses providing reflections at the Eucharist. We prayed morning, midday, and evening prayer each day. Prayer was in Swahili and meetings were in English.

We had two formation committee meetings during the week. The formation committee is comprised of Fr. Jim (chair), Fr. Andrzej, Fr. Yohana, and Br. Mosses. Other meetings dealt with many important topics: updates about current and new properties, finances, future plans, and our upcoming 25th anniversary as a Tanzanian Mission, beginning in January 2027.

Most importantly, we had time to pray and to be together, catching up on each other’s lives and solving many problems! In our evaluation, we decided that we would add an extra day next year and we plan to meet in the nation’s capital city, Dodoma.

Profile on Postulants

Over the last few issues, I have profiled eight of our postulants who are preparing to apply for novitiate that would begin on August 15, 2026. Here are the last two young men who are under the care and direction of Br. Mosses, C.R.

Philimon John

Philimon is from the Magunga outstation, part of our Buhemba parish. I remember him as an altar server when I was ministering in the Buhemba parish. Philimon is 24 years old, born November 26, 2002.

Philimon’s family includes his mother and father, 3 sisters and 6 brothers. Unfortunately, his father has been sick lately. He is the first born in his family. Philimon’s favorite subject in secondary school was mathematics.

Philimon was attracted to our community through Fr. Maciej, Fr. Andrzej, and Fr. Yohana, all of whom ministered at his parish in Buhemba. He likes playing football and feeding the pigs, which he does each day. He really enjoys our timetable of prayer and it helps him to grow in his life with Jesus.

Baltazari Kaboga

Baltazari is a brother candidate who is 25 years old, born September 29, 2001. He is from the Katavi Region of Tanzania. In addition to his mother and father, Baltazari has 3 sisters and 1 brother.

Baltazari finished two years of training as a catechist in Komuge, which is in the Musoma Diocese. He came to know of community while staying with his aunt who lives very close to our formation house. One day, as he was walking by he started to talk to one of our seminarians, Brayan, who invited him for Mass one day.