St. John's University Students in Minesota, USA, Visit Hanga Abbey

This June 2011, students from St. John's University are visiting Hanga Abbey. The University has a history of sending its alumni to volunteer at Hanga abbey and sending some students for cultural experience. This year's group is being led by Mr. Benjamin who formerly stayed at Hanga and teaching at St. Laurent Englishm medium Elementary school back in 2008/09. The group has visited Lake Nyasa, Mikumi National Park, and Zanzibar. The also had the opportunity of staying with families for a day to really experience Tanzanian village life.

In the photo: the goup is posing a picture with Br. Kizito Ndunguru, OSB, the guest master at Kurasini, Dar es Salaam. Br. Kizito is second from left.

Below the group from St. John's university at Hanga Abbey with Br. Lucius (our reporter).

Do not be left out, come one, come all, and experience Tanzanian culture, natural beuty and wild life!

The New Bishop of Mbinga Diocese Visits Hanga Abbey

In March 2011, the diocese of Mbinga in Southern Tanzania had a news of the election of a new bishop, Fr. John Ndimbo as a new bishop of the diocese taking over after the resignation of bishop Emmanuel Mapunda. Fr. John Ndimbo was ordained a bishop for the diocese on June 5, 2011. Three days before his ordination he visited Hanga Abbey to greet the monks. Bishop Ndimbo has a history of having gone to Hanga seminary for his elementary school education back in 1975-77. He attended secondary school at Likonde seminary in Mbginga and Theology school at Peramiho Major seminary. After his ordination in 1989 Bishop John was sent to the Phillipines where he earned degree in Mathematics. Upon his return to his diocese he was named the Rector of Likonde seminary where he served until 2009 when he was named to be Education Secretary of Tanzania Episcopal Conference.

We wish bishop John Ndimbo many blessings and success in his pastoral ministry for the diocese of Mbinga and the world over.

In this photo above: from left - Frater Lucius Matembo, OSB, ( a schoolmate of bishop Ndimbo at Hanga seminary in the 1970's) bishop Ndimbo, and Prior Frater Odo Nanyanje, OSB.

In the pictures below bishop Ndimbo with monks at Hanga Abbey, also cutting a special cake that was made for his honor.

Bishop John Ndimbo in his attire as bishop and his court of arms.

The First High School Students at St. Benedicts Secondary School Do well in their National Examinations.

In February 2011 three first graduating students of High School at St. Benedict Secondary School sat for their advanced level secondary school national examinations. The results came out good! For the three graduating students, out of Four divisions scale of the Examination Council of Tanzania, Mary Mwanyika earned Dvision Two, whilte Clementina Nziku and Alpha Komba both earned Division Three. This is a good news to the students themselves, teachers and other students at St. Benedict. Congratulations to our pioneer students! We also congratulate the administration and teachers, and those who helped the three students in their studies. We wish even better performance in national examinations to the following classes and may St. Benedict continue to flourish.

In the photo from left, Clementina Nziku, Frater Odo Nanyanje, OSB, (Prior at Hanga Abbey), Alpha Komba and Mary Mwanyika.










Below: Ordinary Level Secondary school students of St. Benedict at the asembly ground

St. Benedict Secondary School Gets Solar Electricity

This March St. Benedict Secondary School has been lucky to have solar electricity to run their computers for computer class and for light. The computers and the solar pannels were had from the donation from Irend. The person behind all these achievements is Fr. John O Callaghan of Benedictine Abbey of Glenstal in Ireland. He had met Br. Cassian Kussula, OSB, of Hanga Abbey who told him of the need for computers and computer class in the in the schools run by Hanga Abbey. So Fr. John went ahead to find funders for buth computer and solar electricity to power the computers and light for the school. Thanks to Fr. John, Br. Cassian and all the donors that the project has become a reality.

In the photos see the students at St. Benedict infront ot the solar panels. Two volunteers from Ireland who installed panels are in the photos.

The First Graduation of Advanced Level Secondary Education at St. Benedict Secondary School

A hundred steps necessarily begin with one step. At St. Benedict Secondary School this last February 2011 marked an import historical event: the celebration of the first graduation of advanced level secondary school education. The graduating class had only three students: one young men and two young women!! It was a mile stone for the school and for the history of Hanga Abbey in its efforts to serve the community with opportunities of education. It was a great joy to the graduates, teachers and all students at St. Benedict Secondary School to witness this event. We congratulate and thank the pioneer students for enduring and trusting that Hanga can offer the best too. Of the three graduates Clementina Nziku had finished her Ordinary Level secondary education at St. Benedict. The class has opened the doors. No question in the near future there will be more applications for advanced level secondary education at St. Benedict than the school can handle.
In the photo above Prior Odo Nanyanje, OSB, with the graduates from left Clementina Nziku, Alfa Komba and Mary Mwanyika.



In the photo Fr. Mugaga Angelo Mselle, OSB, the headmaster of St. Benedict Secondary School with students the on graduation day.

















In the photo below left to right: Fr. Mgaga Angelo Mselle, osb, the students Clementina Nziku, Alfa Komba, Mary Mwanyika and Abbot Thadei Mhagama, OSB.

















The three student graduates posing picture with their friends, relatives and staff members.

















Our reporter Br. Stanislaus Mwinuka, OSB, is in the photo with two of the graudates.

















On the occations of graduation students enjoy better meals than those of ordianary school days. In the photos students are enjoying the delicacies of beef and beef stew with rice and soda!! Get in line, get your good food, sit down and enjoy!!

Austrians visit Hanga Abbey

This last February 2011 a group of men and women, eight in number, visited Hanga Abbey. The group was led by Petra Gehrer from Austria. She is the organizer for travel/tour in conjunction with the program at Hanga Abbey know as Responsible Cultural Tourism. She organizes people to come to southern Tanzania for sight seing of national parks, beaches in Lake Nyasa, and in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Visitors at Hanga Abbey get the opportunity of a day or two to stay with a local family in the village and do daily family chorus including cooking and eating the local food. Come one, come all and enjoy the beuty of the country of Tanzania and the cuture of its people!!


In the photos find the group of the visitors from Austria as they were touring Hanga Religious Seminary one of the different institutions of Hanga Abbey.You can see Br. Lucius Matembo, OSB, our reporter in black trousers, giving tour to the guests. Below the visistors in one of the classes at the seminary talking with seminarians.

Songea Archdiocese Religious Men and Women Celebrate Their Day on February 2nd

On February 2nd this year 2011 religious men and women from different religious communities in the Archdiocese of Songea, in southern Tanzania gathered together to celebrate the world day of religious. It is the feast commemorating the presentation of the Lord Jesus when he was child to the temple. The religious are reminded of their dedication and consecration to life in the service of God and his people.

The archbishop is blessing the people with candles.

In the archdiocese of Songea this has become a tradition that every year a venue is chosen where all religious in the archdioce gather for the Holy Mass liturgy presided by the Archbishop. It is a way of witnessing the Church in terms of vocations in the diocese and the way of encouraging each other as religious people. This year's venue was at Peramiho Abbey. The mass was presided by Archbishop Norbert Mtega and the homily was delivered by the retired bishop of Bukoba who is a monk of Hanga Abbey Very Rev. Placidus Gervas Nkalanga, OSB.

From left: Abbot Anastas of Peramiho abbey, Archbishop Norbert Mtega and Abbot Thadei Mhagama, OSB of Hanga Abbey.

Procession with candles to the church for the Holy Mass

A section showing some monks of Hanga Abbey gather for the blessing of the candles.

Abbot Anastas of Peramiho is lighting his candle.

Brothers of St. Paul of Lighano (left Br. Onesmo and right Br. Timothy the superior)

Listening to the readings after lighting candles