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| Late Bishop Mmole Resting Place in Mtwara |
By Pascal Mwanache
Hundreds of lay men and women from various dioceses in Tanzania, Religious institutions and Government, have joined the Catholic Church of Mtwara in the funeral of the late Bishop-emeritus Gabriel Mmole who died in May 15, 2109 and buried on 21stMay, 2019.
Likewise, the lay men and women have participated in the burial ceremony of the Bishop Emeritus of Catholic Diocese of Mbinga late Bishop Emmanuel Mapunda, who died on 16thMay 2019 and buried on 24th May 2019.
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| Late Bishop Mmole |
Giving out his homily in the All Saints Cathedral Mtwara where late Bishop Mmole was buried, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Iringa Rt. Rev. Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa said that the Catholic Church in Tanzania thanks Bishop Mmole for all the spiritual and physical services he gave for his life to the Mtwara Diocese and that he has left them a huge debt.
“The faithful in Mtwara, you have a huge debt to pay for what late Bishop Mmole has done for you. This Mass should be part of the payment even though the debt is huge, praying for the mercy of God to keep him in eternal place in Heaven with the angels and the saints, and that the blood of Christ may sanctify and cleanse him,” he said.
Speaking on the same occasion, the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania Kassim Majaliwa thanked and mentioned the late Bishop Mmole as one of the Church ministers who gave priority to specialized catechism to provide education in Mtwara Region and to offer various services to the people.
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| Late Bishop Mapunda |
On the other hand, the body of the late Bishop Mapunda arrived at Tanzania Episcopal Conference, Kurasini Dar es salaam at 8:05 am on May 22 2019, from the Lugalo Military Hospital before the commencement of Holy Mass which began at 8:38 am and led by the Coadjutor Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Most Rev. Juda Thaddaeus Ruwaichi.
During homily, Bishop Ruwaichi reminded the believers that death is not a curse but it is a symbol of entering a new eternal life whose gift is to see God.
"The lesson for us who remain is that in the missionary vocation, there is no retirement and that is why even after retirement Bishop Mapunda continued to serve at the Peramiho Major Seminary," he said.
Hundreds of believers who attended the mass including some bishops, priests, Religious men and women had the opportunity to pay respect to the body of the late Bishop Mapunda before it was taken to Julius Nyerere International Airport for transportation to Mbinga for funerals on May 24 2019.
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