Issenye

Yesterday my sisters and I drove to Issenye parish, some 70 kilometers from Kiabakari, on the outskirts of Serengeti National Park. The parish covers a huge area including a sizable chunk of Serengeti itself, as the pastors attends to spiritual need of tourists and staff of a number of hotels and lodges in Serengeti, where he travels regularly to render sacramental and liturgical service. The parish celebrated the Golden Jubilee yesterday, fifty years since she was established back in July 1961 by Maryknoll missioner, Rev. Fr. John Casey, MM.
 

I was surprised how well maintained the road leading to Issenye was. Not only me. Even Father Wagana, wgo hails from Issenye, observed yesterday that since he was born, he never saw that road in such a good condition. It took me only an hour and some 10-15 minutes to get there driving with a moderate speed.
Father Kennedy Gurusya, since I have known from early seminarian years of his vocation, the parish priest of Issenye, did a splendid job with his parishioners, to prepare a sophisticated jubilee celebrations. Everything well perfectly as planned, with one remark only - that we did not like the idea of having sacrament of Confirmation administered to more than three hundred parishioners on that day, which made the Mass last for four hours. Too much.
But the setting was nice, the quick snacks and drinks after the Mass were very convenient for us with ulcers. The artistic performance was rich and short at the same time and the food was good afterwards.
On our way back we stopped at Nyamuswa parish, where Rev. Fr. Karol Szlachta, Polish Fidei Donum missionary is laid to rest by the entrance to the parochial church. He was my first and only parish priest in Tanzania. We said a short prayer at his grave and continued with the journey till Kiabakari where we reached home by 5.30 pm.
It is scary that Kiabakari will celebrate its fifty years jubilee in thirty six years time. I will be (if still alive) 84 years old by then. So, I won't think of that, but rather about 25 years jubilee in 11 years time, as Nyamiongo parish in Musoma municipality does as they will celebrate their silver jubilee by the end of this month.
Auguri to all parishes in Diocese of Musoma, celebrating their anniversaries and jubilees, starting with Nyegina parish, the very first parish in this area, established in 1911.