Who we Are
We are a Roman Catholic Religious Congregation made up of Priests, Brothers, and Lay Associates. Our congregation was founded on 27th May, 1703 by a young French nobleman, Claude Poullart des Places, who abandoned the practice of law to pursue studies for the priesthood. He established a community for young men aspiring to become priests and placed it under the patronage of the Holy Spirit.
Approximately 150 years later, also in France, Francis Libermann, a convert from Judaism, founded another religious community: The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Both congregations each committed to evangelization and service to the poor eventually merged to form one: the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Our History
The history of the Spiritan mission in Tanzania begins with the Vicariate of Zanzibar, which established a foundational mission in Bagamoyo in 1868. This mission grew in importance, leading the Holy See to create the Vicariate of Bagamoyo on December 21, 1906, with Bishop Francis Xavier Vogt as its first vicar. To manage the vast territory, Bishop Vogt divided it into a Northern sector (encompassing Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Tanga) and a Southern sector (including Bagamoyo and Morogoro). The Northern sector later became the Vicariate of Kilimanjaro under Bishop Aloyse Munsch. The upheaval of the First World War brought significant changes as German colonies, including Tanganyika, were lost, leading to a period of transition for the missions. Despite these challenges, the Church in Kilimanjaro grew, culminating in a historic milestone: the ordination of the first African diocesan priest formed by the Spiritans, Father Alfonsi Mtana, on April 1, 1938, in Moshi.
The Second Vatican Council and the 1968 Spiritan General Chapter in Rome prompted a major shift towards indigenization and the development of local clergy. This vision was reinforced by Pope Paul VI’s 1969 visit to Uganda, where he declared Africans the new missionaries of their continent. In response, a pivotal meeting in 1972 between the Superior General and district superiors from Kenya, Kilimanjaro, and Morogoro led to the formation of a unified East African Foundation (EAF) to recruit and form local vocations. The novitiate officially opened at Usa River, Arusha, on January 7, 1973, with the first six Tanzanian novices. By 1979, the EAF was formally established with Father Thomas Tunney as its first superior, marking the beginning of a new era of Spiritan international cooperation in the region.
The Foundation grew rapidly, leading to its elevation to the East African Province (EAP) in 1989, encompassing Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. However, as the province expanded to 155 members the majority of whom were Tanzanian internal tensions arose. Some members from Kenya and Uganda felt the province was too large and advocated for a separate Kenya-Uganda Foundation to allow for more localized governance. After years of consultation, prayer, and canonical visitation, a decision was made to reorganize the EAP. On October 2, 2008, the feast of the Spiritan founder, the East African Province was suppressed and restructured into four separate entities: The Province of Tanzania, the Foundation of Kenya, the Foundation of Uganda, and the Foundation of Ethiopia.
The Province of Tanzania, now headquartered in Arusha-Tengeru, emerged from this reorganization. It collaborates closely with the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference, and its members serve in eight dioceses across the country. Their ministries are diverse, ranging from parish work and interreligious dialogue with Islam in Zanzibar to first evangelization among the Maasai and refugee services in Kigoma. The province has made significant contributions to the local church, with several of its members serving as bishops, including the late Bishops Joseph Kilasara (Moshi) and Bernard Ngaviliau (Zanzibar), as well as Bishops Augustine Shao (Zanzibar) and Rogath Kimaryo (Same). The chapter also reflects on the long journey of fostering indigenous vocations. While early attempts in the 1870s faced significant challenges, the modern formation program established in the 1950s has proven highly successful.
Among the province’s most notable achievements are its educational institutions, particularly the Marian Schools in Bagamoyo. Founded by Father Valentine Bayo, these schools Marian Girls, Marian Boys, and Marian University College (MARUCO) aim to liberate people from modern forms of bondage, with a special focus on educating the girl child. This work also led to the revival of the historic Bagamoyo mission itself, which had declined after the nationalizations of the 1960s. Following Father Bayo’s arrival in 1991, the mission was revitalized, and in 1999, the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference designated its Grotto of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a national pilgrimage centre, recognizing its foundational role in East African Catholicism. A further sign of the province’s vitality and maturity came in 2012 when it hosted the 20th General Chapter of the Spiritans, the first time this global meeting was held on African soil. In conclusion, the chapter presents the journey of the Spiritans in Tanzania as a successful transition from a mission dependent on European missionaries to a thriving, indigenous province, with the reorganization of 2008 serving not as a division but as a sign of maturity and a firm foundation for the future of evangelization.
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