TANZANIA: My Appointment as Archbishop Coadjutor of Tabora Another Opportunity to Serve, Says Most Rev. Rugambwa
Pascal Mwanache
The Coadjutor Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Tabora, Most Rev. Protase Rugambwa has said that he sees the opportunity of his appointment as the beginning of a new desire in his life of vocation and service.
He has issued this statement during the Holy Mass of his reception held in Ifucha Pilgrimage Center on June 25th, 2023 which was attended by hundreds of lay faithful.
“And here again, God wants me to serve him in a different place and in a different way after finishing my term of service in the Vatican offices, especially in the Dicastery for Evangelization. Although my age has moved a little, I see this opportunity as the beginning of a new desire in my life of vocation and service. While remembering the past with a heart of gratitude, I receive the present with enthusiasm, looking forward with great faith and hope, because Jesus Christ who enabled me to carry out the past is the same yesterday, today and forever” he noted.
He also added that “I would like to thank God for the grace of the call to serve him as a priest and bishop at various levels and places. As a result of the various tasks entrusted to me by the Church, I have seen for myself how God uses weak instruments to carry out his work. I have found myself called by God to serve him here and there, and believing in his destiny and guidance, I have always tried to respond, even if sometimes I find myself in a state of hesitation and fear”.
Conveying the message from the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Vice President of TEC Rt. Rev Flavian Kassala has said that they are grateful to God who has again given a great gift to the Catholic Archdiocese of Tabora while clearly understanding that the time of retirement for Archbishop Paulo Ruzoka is approaching.
“By His will, he has provided another pastor who will go along with Most Rev. Paul Ruzoka to finally take the responsibility of leading the Diocese. We give great thanks to God Almighty and this requires us to continue to be people of prayer, to continue thanking him “.
“We welcome you home; you are our brother, a son of our country, a member of the Tanzania church. We are happy to welcome you home because we have always counted you as a treasure that we borrowed for other uses and now it returns to us” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology Mr. Nape Nnauye said that President Samia urges Most. Rev Rugambwa to continue the task of implementing various projects for the benefit of all Tanzanians because by doing so he will have sincerely carried out the mission he was called to. “Archbishop Rugambwa is a blessing to Tanzania and Africa in general for his exalted leadership to become an international leader which is a credit to our country. We congratulate you very much for all that and for the experience you have because it will be a source and a great treasure in raising us spiritually and encouraging development in our region and our country of Tanzania as a whole,” said President Samia.
