TANZANIA: Pope Francis Appoints Two Auxiliary Bishops for Dar es Salaam Archdiocese
Extreme left Very Rev. Stephano Musomba, Right Very, Rev. Henry Mchamungu
By Pascal Mwanache
The Holy Father Pope Francis has on July 7, 2021, appointed two new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They are Fr. Stephano Musomba, O.S.A and Fr. Henry Mchamungo.
Following the announcement in Rome, Secretary General of Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Fr Dr. Charles Kitima also issued a statement to disclose the news to the Church in Tanzania.
Announcing the appointment to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam during ordination Mass held at Msimbazi Centre, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam Most Rev. Judde Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi said, “A minute ago in the Vatican, the Holy Father’s office announced the appointment of two auxiliary bishops of Dar es Salaam. They are Father Henry Mchamungu, professor at Segerea Senior Seminary and Father Stephano Musomba. I invite you to come here so that people may see you.”
Upon his appointment Fr. Stephano Musomba, O.S.A., was parish priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Mavurunza in Dar-es-Salaam while Fr. Henry Mchamungo is a clergy of Dar-es-Salaam, a formator and professor of Canon Law at St. Charles Lwanga Segerea Senior Seminary, the president of the Inter-diocesan Tribunal and Secretary of the Legal Commission of Tanzania Episcopal Conference.
Fr. Stephano Musomba, O.S.A., was born on 25 September 1969 in the village of Malonji in the metropolitan Archdiocese of Mbeya. He studied philosophy (1995-1998) and theology (1999-2003) at the Jordan University College of Morogoro. From 2004 to 2008 he was at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute in Rome where he obtained a licentiate in Patrology.
He entered the Order of Saint Augustine and completed his novitiate in the San Agustín Convent in Manila, in the Philippines (1998-1999), and gave his religious vows on 25 September 2002. He was ordained a priest on 24 July 2003.
Since his priestly ordination, he has held the following offices: parish assistant at the Immaculate Conception parish of Mavurunza in Dar-es-Salaam (2003-2004); formator at the House of Formation of the order, lecture in the Faculty of Theology of the Jordan University in Morogoro (2008-2009) and, from 2008, secretary of the Tanzanian delegation of the Order;
Parish priest of Saint Augustine’s parish in Temboni in Dar-es-Salaam and lecturer at the Jordan University in Morogoro (2009-2014); parish assistant at the Immaculate Conception parish in Dar-es-Salaam (2014-2016); formator at the House of Formation of the Order in Morogoro (2016-2018) and, from 2018 to the present, parish priest of the Immaculate Conception parish of Mavurunza in Dar-es-Salaam and prior of the Community of Saint Monica.
Fr. Henry Mchamungu was born on 8 January 1965 in Legho Kilema in the Diocese of Moshi, He studied philosophy at the Ntungamo Major Seminary of Bukoba (1986-1988) and theology at Saint Paul’s Senior Seminary in Kipalapala in Tabora (1989-1994). He was ordained a priest on 24 June 1994.
After ordination he has served as Secretary General of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam and Director of the Vocations office (1994-1998); and formator and professor at Saint Charles Lwanga Senior Seminary of Segerea, Dar-es-Salaam (1998-1999). He obtained a licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya (1999-2001) and went on to serve as formator and professor of Canon Law at the Segerea Senior Seminary and judicial vicar of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam (2001-2006).
He obtained a doctorate in Canon Law at the Katholische Privat-Universität Linz, Austria (2006-2011) and from 2011 until now he has been serving as formator and professor of Canon law.
