The Institute offers theological education to the African religious men and women from different congregations here in East Africa. It started in 1967 with indigenous sisters (training only sisters from the Holy Spirit community), but later after the request of the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference (TEC) in 1969, the Institute started offering theological studies to other African Sisters from other congregations since 1970. In 2008 Religious Brothers were also invited. By reading the signs of time and due to lack of enough priests and religious men and women it has become necessary to provide these theological studies also to laypeople in order to incorporate them in the work of evangelization (lay apostolate). Moreover, an increasing number of family breakdowns, unstable marriages, street children, and moral decadence among young people became a pulling force for us as facilitators of effective evangelization to expand the institute so that we can conduct various seminars and workshops to save the future church from doom.
Geographical Position
The Theological Pastoral Institute is built in the remote areas at the campus of the Holy Spirit Sisters’ Regional House, here in Africa – Tanzania, in Vunjo district, at the place called Rauya-Marangu- in Kilimanjaro Region, It is about 35 kilometers to town. The area is rather dry and warm. The villagers depend mainly on irrigation for their small gardens. The Institute is located nearby the main road which is tarmac from the town to this place up to the Kilimanjaro National Park, the first place where the mountain climbers has to start climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Economic Situation of the area
The income of the people of this area is very low as they don’t grow cash crops but only rely on food crops such as maize, beans, bananas, yams etc, which they produce from their small gardens for their living. They don’t get much. Some have only one meal a day while others don’t have anything to eat. There are many poor families in this area in which the Holy Spirit Sisters’ Community has to help their children through education, clothing, medical services and food. Many families don’t have reliable houses to live in either only earthen house with very old iron sheets.
Religious – Pastoral
The area here is of mixed sects of Protestants and Catholics who moved from other places and came to settle here, in the year 1960s. In 1964, the Catholics were very few, about twenty in number but today we have about six thousand Catholics. The Students who are studying in this Institute in collaboration with the sisters from my Community are doing a great deal to evangelize the people of this area. We usually visit our people once in a week in their village listening to their problems, giving counseling and solution were possible. Moreover pastoral practice includes strengthening Small Christian Communities of this area, teaching catechumens, teaching religion in primary and secondary schools, helping the development of women’s associations. We are really working hard in this area to form the morality of children and youths, re-uniting separated couples through counseling, spiritual seminars and workshops.
Subjects
They have thirty one (31) subjects a week, (periods) theory and practical. After having successfully passed the final examination, the students are awarded “Certificate” and “MissioCanonica” by our local Bishop. We are on process to affiliate with Catholic University of Eastern African so that they can acquire Diploma.
Due to tremendous lack of priests and sisters in Tanzania for teaching Catechesis in Primary and Secondary Schools and also in many parishes, Catechists are of great help in the field of Evangelization in Tanzania. Sincerely speaking we have very few well trained Catechists to cater this great need of evangelization.
It is clear that the present development in the world requires well prepared and equipped catechists who will able to face challenges from new generations and help the Church in the work of Evangelization. That is why we Holy Spirit Sisters have seen the need of training our lay people to offer this great service to the Church.
The Catechists are mainly involved in the following works in the Parish and Outstations
- Religious instructions for children who need Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
- They go to primary and secondary schools for teaching religion.
- Give instructions to Catechumens.
- Give Matrimonial advice, counseling and instruction on faith matters.
- Visit the Sick in the families.
- Visit and guide the Small Christian Communities.
- In Tanzania we still have many parts that require primary evangelization thus, the Catechists are the ones who go round teaching and instructing the non believers as well.
