TANZANIA: Lay Associations bid farewell to Archbishop Lebulu
14 members of Lay Association of Arusha Archdiocese joined in the celebration of Holly Mass to bid farewell to Most Rev. Josaphat Lebulu who retired after serving as Archbishop of Arusha for 18 years.
Speaking during the celebration of the Holy mass at Burka Parish in Arusha Tanzania on 11th, March, 2018, Archbishop Lebulu thanked God for the presence of Lay Associations in the church for they have a big role of evangelization and promotion of the Church’s development.
He said that, since he arrived in Arusha in 1997 and set up Lay Associations, he appreciate the apostolate of the Lay associations in the diocese for they gave him support in his ministry. “The Church has never been without laity who are active missionaries. Lay Associations are active missionaries in promoting Catholic faith and local churches,” he Archbishop Lebulu said
“The laity derive their responsibility in the Church not from the clergy but from their Baptism, from the Sacraments of Initiation that confer responsibility for the life and
the mission of the Church. Certainly, this happens in an “ordered” and therefore hierarchical way, but not in a subordinated way. The Code of Canon Law recognizes the right of the laity to associate and carry out their task of evangelization.
This is what I experienced in Arusha and am glad that the church in Tanzania particularly Arusha has active lay who are real missionaries of their time,” said Bishop Lebulu.
He also stated that all Lay Associations were initiated by the first synod of the Archdiocese that brought forth deep evangelization encouraging the lay who do not want to join those Associations to remember that, the individual apostolate is unique and a great opportunity in the Church to evangelize, pray for themselves and the world.
Archbishop Lebulu who thanked the lay faithful in Arush, said that the role of the laity is essential in accomplishing the mission of the Church adding that each one has been called by God to their own specific vocation and mission.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Arusha Lay Associations Emmanuel Mosha thanked Bishop Lebulu for being a committed Pastor to them both spiritually and physically.
He requested Bishops to appoint guardians of Lay associations. “Every Lay Association should have a guardian who will oversee various guidelines but we lack care of guardians,” he emphasized.
Bishop Lebulu was born on 13 June 1942. He was ordained as a priest of Same Diocese on 11th, December, 1968, He was appointed a bishop of Same on 12th, February, 1979 and ordained ordinary bishop of Same 24th, May, 1979.
On 28th, November, 1998 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II (A saint) a bishop of Arusha and installed as Archbishop of Arusha Diocese on 16th, March, 1999. He retired on 27th, December, 2017.
The mass was also attended by Rt. Rev. Richard Baanobr from Ghana who congratulated the members of Lay Associations for cooperation they had shown to Bishop Lebulu.
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Sarah Pelaji, Kiongozi Newspaper TEC
