Hanga Abbey Daughter House Gets Two Monks in Solemn Vows

On the 11th June, 2015 Frater Bernard Mwanza, OSB,  and Frater Augustine Mwape, OSB, made their solemn perpetual vows in Katibunga monastery. The monastery is under Hanga Abbey. It is located in the archdiocese of Mpika in Zambia. Abbot Thadei Mhagama, OSB, of Hanga Abbey was there to officiate the ceremony which was held during Holy Mass. The vicar general of the archdiocese of Mpika presided at Mass. The mass was well attended and was celebrated in Bemba. During the liturgy a group of well prepared girls performed a liturgical dancing.

Both Frater Deogratias and Frater Augustine are studying at Peramiho Theology Seminary to become priests. We congratulate them for making commitment to religious life and we look forward to their ordination to priesthood.

In the photo below are Abbot Thadei (at the middle) with Frater Augustine on his right and Frater Bernard on his left

 

Sitting in the photo; left is Frater Augustine Mwape, OSB, and right is Frater Bernard Mwanza, OSB,

 

 

 

Abbot Thadei officiating at the ceremony of making solemn vows.

Procession to the church and liturgical dancing

 

 

Celebrating the Holy Eucharist Sunday at Hanga Abbey

Villagers of Hanga, Monks, and students, celebrated the Sunday mass of the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord with great pomp. The feast made it even more pompous because there were more than 200 children receiving their first communion at the parish, a perfect occasion for children to receive the first communion!

The abbey and the parish church were well decorated. Streets through which procession with the Eucharist passed were decorated too. The procession began at the parish church ending at the abbey church. Midway on the procession route, about a kilometer, an outside alter had been erected and adoration was held there for about half an hour before proceeding to the destination at the abbey church.

People in groups, of women, men, students, monks, youths  were sing all the way during the procession. Abbot Thadei Mhaga, OSB, was carryin the monstrance with the Holy Eucharist assisted by the pastor of Hanga parish, Fr. Eliah Chale.

See below some photos of the procession.

Below: the children of the first communion in the procession

Biometrical Registration for Voting at Hanga Abbey





Tanzania will be having presidential and legislative representative voting in November this year 2015. Consequently the country is preparing voters by registering them biometrically. It is a new and the first exercise for voters in Tanzania to register biometrically. At Hanga this exercise took place at the abbey from May 22nd to 28th. Villagers, monks, and students participated in the exercise. An identity card issued in the exercise is a valid identification for Tanzanian citizenship and will be legal and accepted in all Tanzanian legal issues where ID will be needed. See pictured of monks and students registering for voting.

Fr. Mugaga, OSB, and Fr. Chrysostom at the registration office for voting.
  

 

 

 

People in the office of biometric registration

 

 

 

 

St. Benedict students line up to register for voting

 

 

 





Moringa Oleifera Grown at Hanga Abbey

The plant Moringa oleifera is becoming a popular plant in the world for its medicinal and health usefulness. It is said to be the best supplement of minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium and others. It is also an oxidant, it brings relaxation after becoming tired, and believed to reduce weight and cure stomach problems as well as diabetes.

So far the plant leaves are sold in forms of powder, leave pieces and  pill form. It can be taken by mouth by mixing with other foods such as soup or tea.

At Hanga Abbey a lady volunteer from Austria, Frau Christa, has just began growing the plant and encouraging all the monks to use it for their health benefits. Frau Christa works with students at Hanga Religious Seminary to grow the plant. She hopes to grow the plant at a larger scale with the help of the monks. Indeed the benefits of the plants have already been witnessed by many monks and students at Hanga. Thanks to Frau Christa for introducing to us about Moringa Oleifera so called MORINGA in Kiswahili. You can learn more about the plant if you browse in the web/internet.

In the pictures below Frau Christa with seminarians at the field of Moringa Oleifera.

Moringa ground leaves packed in bottles can be used with tea.

Monks Say Goodbye to an Abbey Cook

Among the employees at the abbey kitchen at Hanga Abbey are Benedictine nuns from Imiliwaha Sisters in Njombe diocese in the southern highlands of Tanzania. This late April 2015 one of the three nuns in the kitchen, Sister Hosana Nkwera, OSB,  was reassigned to another responsibility by her superiors. In recognition for her outstanding service in the kitchen the monks held a farewell dinner for her.

In that dinner something shocked all the monks. Sr. Hosana explained that she was a survivor of a sunken boat in Lake Nyasa back in 1989, the story which  shocked with sadness many people back then and even today. We wish Sister Hasana all blessings in her new assignment.

Below are some photos of Sr. Hosana at the reception dinner

Above Sr. Hosana delivering a speech which included how he survived 10 hours in water/lake Nyasa after their bout was storm wrecked

 

 

 

Belos Prior Jerome Mlelwa gives Sr. Hosana a goobye hand

Sr. Hosana is receing a special travelers blessing from Bishop Placidus Nkakalanga, OSB, and Fr. Gregory Mwageni, OSB.

Sub-prior John de Sahaguni presents a gift to Sr. Hosana.

 

Frater Wenceslaus and Frater Ludger also had special goodbye chat with Sr. Hosana