Sarah Pelaji, Peramiho-Songea
Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of Karonga diocese in Malawi joined the Bishops of Tanzania in marking the 75 Jubilee celebrations of St Augustine Major Seminary Peramiho on 17th, October, 2017 in Songea Archdiocese.
In his address to the audience, Bishop Mtumbuka congratulated the Catholic Church in Tanzania for the Jubilee of 75 years of Peramiho Major Seminary. “I thank the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Tanzania for this Jubilee celebration, for that it should not be taken for granted,” he said adding that there are many people who sacrificed for the Seminary.
He told the seminarians that, St Augustine Seminary being the fruit of the Benedictines missionaries should remind them about cultivating a missionary spirit in their journey of priestly formation.
Bishop Mtumbuka urged the Seminarians to resort themselves into the life of prayers. “A priest who does not value prayers is a burden to believers hence you should be people of prayer for you to be missionaries for the whole world,” he said.
He also emphasized on self-reliance saying that, seminaries should find ways of sustaining themselves due to donor fatigue. “Fr. Rector we request you to continue to work very hard together with other formators to provide high quality of service to our seminarians because that is what the Church and society need,” he said.
Bishops Mtumbuka commended the formation in Peramiho Seminary owing to the work that the seminarian do as part of their formation. “I am a Bishop Chairman of Seminaries in Malawi, I wish I can send all rectors, formators and some seminarians to learn from you especially on the issues of manual works,” said Bishop Mtumbuka.
Peramiho Seminary which began in 1940 has so far produced more than 740 priests among them 15 Bishops.
On the other hand, the Archbishop of Songea Most Rev. Damian Dallu thanked the Government for issuing a tax permit for missionaries to perform religious activities in the country.
"I thank the Government because we must collaborate with the other people outside and within Tanzania in evangelization works so that we can learn and share experiences,” he said adding that, “through this great collaboration with the government, Peramiho seminary has received students from Burundi, Malawi, Kenya, India and so forth. That's a missionary spirit and that is how it should be."
Meanwhile, the Minister of Policy, Parliament, Labor, Youth, Employment and Disabled, Jenista Mhagama on behalf of the Government said that, she recognizes the Church's contribution especially in the formation of its citizens. “Priests are not only preaching in the churches but are initiators of different development projects for the development of the people as well,” she said.
She insisted that, the government promises to continue to co-operate with religious institutions to ensure that the developmental activities and programs of the people are successfully achieved.