TANZANIA: Bishop Libena of Ifakara leads hundreds of Pilgrims to Uganda Martyrs’ Celebrations
some other Pilgrims to Namugongo Uganda
Rt. Rev. Salutaris Melchior Libena, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ifakara, Tanzania led 212 pilgrims to this year’s Uganda Martyrs celebration which is held yearly on the 3rd June.
Speaking to AMECEA Online News at the Resurrection Garden in Nairobi, Kenya where they had made a stopover on Tuesday May, 31st Bishop Libena said that personally he was participating in the Pilgrimage to Uganda for the first time and it was a special occasion for him as he celebrates his Silver Jubilee of Priestly Ordination.
“This is the year of Mercy and one of the things that the Holy Father Pope Francis encourages us to do is to make Pilgrimages whenever we can. This is my 25th year of Priestly ordination, and together with my friends whom we were ordained together, we decided to go and say thank you to God in one of those important places like the Uganda Martyrs Shrine,” Bishop Libena explained.
Four of his colleagues whom they were ordained together managed to come for the pilgrimage with him. “We were five but unfortunately one of us could not make it due to one reason or the other,” said Bishop Libena who is also the chairman of Liturgy Commission of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference TEC. He said that expectations from the Pilgrimage are to become closer to God and more dedicated to his services for the benefit of people of God.
Bishop Libena said that Pilgrimage is a journey to remind us that we are on the way to God and each one of us needs time to reflect on the journey of his or her faith starting from where he or she comes, where they are going. “When people take time to participate in the journey of faith such as this pilgrimage, they get an opportunities to reflect on faith and become more closer to God,” Bishop Libena said adding that in his diocese, they have made special places for pilgrimage where they encourage Christians from Ifakara Diocese to visit and pray.
Also speaking to AMECEA Online News Mr. Bartholomew Kyaruzi, the organizing chairman of this year’s pilgrimage said that the annual participation in Uganda Martyrs celebrations began with the Uganda Martyrs Parish in the Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam in Magomeni Tanzania. The Parish bears the name of the Uganda Martyrs as patron Saints.
“The first time parishioners made Pilgrimage to Uganda Martyrs Shrine was in 2005 on which 13 people participated in the pilgrimage, among them one priest and one religious sister. Those who made the first pilgrimage upon returning back home shared with others their spiritual experiences which has since motivated more people to join in the pilgrimage,” he said.
Among the 212 people who are participating in this year’s Pilgrimage include one Bishop, 14 Priests, 44 Religious Women, 128 Lay Women and 28 Men of different age groups. They are drawn from nine dioceses in Tanzania which include the Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam, Dioceses of Morogoro, Ifakara, Mahenge, Lindi, Mtwara, Iringa, Mbeya and Kigoma.
All the people converged at the Uganda Martyrs Parish in Dar-es-Salaam to start the trip together. They had a nine-day novena for the success of the pilgrimage, receiving the sacraments of confession as well as daily Eucharistic celebrations as a way of preparations.
By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
