Cardinal Rugambwa Reflects on Centenary of Kipalapala Seminary: “Source of New Life and Growth”

His Eminence Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, led a special Mass at Kipalapala Seminary on Saturday, August 20, 2022, to mark the centenary of the institution. The Mass was attended by Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, who delivered a homily reflecting on the seminary’s significance. Addressing the congregation, Cardinal Rugambwa hailed Kipalapala Seminary as a “source of new life and growth” for the Catholic Church in Tanzania. He noted that since its establishment in 1922, the seminary has played a critical role in forming priests who have served the Church and society with distinction. “This seminary has been a cradle of vocations, where countless young men have discerned their call to serve God and his people,” Cardinal Rugambwa said. “Through the formation they have received here, they have grown in their faith, their knowledge, and their pastoral skills.” The Cardinal highlighted the seminary’s contributions to the development of Tanzania. “The priests trained at Kipalapala have been instrumental in establishing parishes, schools, hospitals, and other institutions that have served the needs of our communities,” he said. “Their work has made a profound difference in the lives of countless Tanzanians.” Cardinal Rugambwa also reflected on the challenges faced by the seminary over the years. He acknowledged that the institution has experienced periods of difficulty but emphasized that it has always emerged stronger thanks to the dedication of its staff and students. “Kipalapala Seminary has stood the test of time,” he said. “It has been a beacon of faith and hope in our country. As we celebrate this centenary, we give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon this institution.” The Cardinal concluded his homily by urging the seminary community to continue its mission of forming priests who are deeply rooted in their faith and committed to serving the people of God. “May Kipalapala Seminary remain a source of new life and growth for our Church,” he said. “May the priests formed here be instruments of God’s love and compassion in our world.”AFRICA/TANZANIA – Cardinal Rugambwa on the occasion of the centenary of the Kipalapala Seminary: “source of new life and growth”

AFRICA/TANZANIA – Cardinal Rugambwa on the occasion of the centenary of the Kipalapala Seminary: “source of new life and growth”

Tabora (Agenzia Fides) –

“We are grateful to God for the continuous growth of vocations at the St. Paul Major Seminary of Kipalapala, where currently some 290 seminarians continue their theological studies, along with their trainers, professors and non-teaching staff.++, it is an honor for us to live this year in which we prepare to celebrate its centenary”, the Archbishop of Tabora, Cardinal Protase Rugambwa, told Fides on the occasion of the awarding of diplomas to 40 seminarians who have completed their theological studies.+studies and training for the priesthood.+

“Kipalapala,” the Cardinal continues, “is one of three theological seminaries run by the Episcopal Conference of Tanzania,” the Cardinal continued.++“It is located in the Archdiocese of Tabora and was founded by African missionaries when Tabora was still the Apostolic Vicariate of Unyanyembe in the town of Ushirombo, where the Vicariate was based.+That was in 1918.+Later the Seminary moved to a place called Utinta in the current diocese of Mpanda and since 1925 it has been located in Kipalapala.”+

“As I said,” adds the Archbishop, “the Seminary serves all ecclesiastical areas of Tanzania and, sometimes, seminarians from neighboring countries, as well as members of religious institutes and societies of apostolic life, also come to study here.”+

The Archdiocese of Tabora has been fundamental in the existence and growth of the Seminary.++Accordingly, the Archbishop of Tabora is in charge of the Seminary on behalf of the Episcopal Conference of Tanzania and is also a member of its administrative council.++“In fact, he personally participated with my collaborators and faithful in various activities and events with a view to the preparations for the centenary, which will take place in the second half of next year and which are already underway,” he says.+

“We pray to God to bless our efforts,” concludes Cardinal Rugambwa, “so that the centenary becomes a source of new life and growth aimed at forming good future servants of the Church for the life and mission of the Church in Tanzania and elsewhere+” (AP) (Agenzia Fides 6/11/2024)
Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, Archbishop of Dar es Salaam, presided over the celebrations for the centenary of Kipalapala Seminary, in the diocese of Iringa, on behalf of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference. The event was also attended by Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa, Bishop of Kigoma, who focused his speech on the seminary as a “source of new life and growth”. The Cardinal, in his speech, retraced the history of the seminary, founded in 1922 by the White Fathers, who had the intuition of establishing a centre for training future priests from all over Tanzania. “The history of the seminary is a story of growth and vitality, a source of new life and growth for the Church in Tanzania”, he recalled. According to Cardinal Rugambwa, the seminary has not only been a place of training, but also a “source of new life and growth for the Church in Tanzania”, contributing to the formation of priests “who have served and continue to serve the Church with dedication and love”. Throughout its history, the Kipalapala Seminary has borne the signs of a “constant search for excellence in the training of future priests”, offering an “integral formation, both intellectual and spiritual”, which aims to form “priests who are not only learned but also genuinely holy”, he added. The Cardinal therefore encouraged the entire community of the seminary, from the formators to the students, to continue to strive for “high standards of training”, to offer “a formation that is relevant to the needs of the times” and to maintain “the spirit of community and brotherhood that has always characterised this seminary”. Finally, Cardinal Rugambwa urged the new priests to be “faithful to their vocation and to the mission of the Church” and to “bear witness to Christ with their lives”.