Tanzania’s 2nd Oldest Catholic Parish Gears Up for Jubilee Celebrations amid Calls to Deepen Faith

Morogoro, 12 February, 2025 / 9:50 PM

Parishioners of Sacred Heart of Jesus Mhonda Parish of Tanzania’s Catholic Diocese of Morogoro have been told to open their hearts to God’s voice and to discern His will as they prepare for the 150th Jubilee of Christianity in their parish.

In his homily on Monday, February 10 at the relaunch of the Parish's 150th Jubilee, Bishop Lazarus Vitalis Msimbe urged the faithful to embrace humility, repentance, and spiritual renewal, emphasizing that listening to God's call is essential for a fruitful celebration of the Jubilee.

“It is a great honor for you that in this Jubilee year of Hope, marking 2025 years of Christianity, you are re-launching the 150th Jubilee of Christianity here,” Bishop Msimbe said.

He encouraged the faithful to seek the light of Christ in their spiritual journey, especially during the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.

Reflecting on the scripture readings of the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Tanzanian member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) invited the people of God to follow the example of the Prophet Isaiah and Apostles Paul and Peter, who embraced humility, recognized their weaknesses, and responded to God's call with repentance.

“All of us, the faithful, are invited like Isaiah, like Paul, like Peter, to be humble, to recognize our weaknesses, to repent, and then we will receive the strength to listen to what God wants us to do, what God is sending us to do,” he said.

The 78-year-old Catholic Bishop, who has been at the helm of Morogoro Diocese since September 2021, called on parishioners to reject practices such as witchcraft, jealousy, and neglect of prayer and offerings, reminding them that true faith requires transformation. 

He also urged couples living together without the Sacrament of Matrimony to solemnize their marriages, assuring them of God's abundant blessings if they embraced change. “If we do so, the Almighty God will send abundant blessings as we show change, change like that which Apostle Paul underwent,” he said.

Explaining how the light of Christ helps reveal what the people of God must leave behind and the path they should follow, the Tanzania-born Catholic Church leader expressed confidence that the parish’s 150th Jubilee celebration would be highly successful, and encouraged the faithful to reflect and consider how each of them was spiritually preparing for both the 2025 Jubilee of Christianity and the 150th Jubilee of their Parish.

Bishop Msimbe commended the faithful to God's care, praying that their faith would be strengthened so that they may "follow Him, serve Him, and love Him always, living in harmony with one another, loving each other so that life may be filled with joy and peace for all the faithful.”

Nicholas Waigwa contributed to the writing of this story.