TANZANIA: Dioceses in Tanzania conclude the Great Jubilee Year 2025
Bishop Kinyaiya
Dalphina Rubyema
The Catholic Dioceses of Dodoma and Morogoro in Tanzania have celebrated special Holy Masses to officially close the Great Jubilee Year 2025.
In the Archdiocese of Dodoma, the Mass was held on December 6 and presided over by the Archbishop, His Grace Beatus Kinyaiya, OFM Cap, at the Mount of Hope in Itega, located within the Parish of Mary Help of Christians, Kizota. In Morogoro, the closing celebration took place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and was led by the Diocesan Bishop, His Lordship Lazarus Msimbe, SDS.
In his homily, Archbishop Kinyaiya noted that the Holy Year had served as an important opportunity for the faithful to deepen their commitment to prayer, strengthen spiritual life within families, and increase participation in diocesan pilgrimage canters.
He urged the faithful to remain rooted in prayer even after the conclusion of the Jubilee Year. “As we close the Jubilee Year 2025, the key message remains trusting and relying on God in all things… and I especially call on young people to be people of faith, not easily misled into behaviours that draw them away from what is right,” he said.
Archbishop Kinyaiya further encouraged Catholics to continue living lives of repentance, to receive the Holy Eucharist regularly, and to uphold hope without giving in to despair placing their trust in God rather than in human solutions.
“Whatever challenges you encounter – health struggles, workplace conflicts, relationship difficulties, or financial hardships – should not weaken your trust in God. Stand firm and overcome them… avoid drunkenness, drug abuse, and seeking comfort in immoral ways,” he advised.
He also cautioned Catholics against running to other churches in search of miracles, reminding them that worship is not about emotional excitement or personal sensations, but an act of reverence and glory to God.
The Great Jubilee celebrations in the Archdiocese of Dodoma were originally launched on December 29, 2024, during a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Kinyaiya at St. Paul of the Cross Cathedral.
In Morogoro, the climax of the Jubilee coincided with the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Patroness of the Diocese. The celebration also included notable events: 44 couples solemnized their marriages, and the Diocese concluded its Annual Harvest raising 355,756,930 Tanzanian shillings.
In his homily, Bishop Msimbe highlighted the Immaculate Conception as a central doctrine of faith, calling on Catholics to imitate Mary’s purity and faithfulness on their journey toward holiness.
He reminded the faithful that on December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX formally declared the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which teaches that Mary alone was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception a grace granted for the salvation of all through Jesus Christ.
During the launch of the Jubilee Year in December 2024, Bishop Msimbe removed long-standing obstacles that had prevented couples living together without Church marriage from regularizing their unions. He encouraged them to marry sacramentally and pledged to cover food and beverage expenses for their wedding celebrations. Throughout the Jubilee Year 2025, a total of 300 marriages were solemnized in the Diocese of Morogoro.
Pope Francis proclaimed the Great Jubilee Year 2025 and instructed dioceses worldwide to conduct local inaugurations, while the universal opening took place on December 24, 2024. The theme for the Jubilee Year is: ‘Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope’.
