Hanga Abbey

Patricia Talbot and Steve Heard from the US at Hanga Abbey

admin — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:49:27 +0000

Like many visitors at Hanga abbey Patricia and Steve from Sonoma in California, USA, had good time at Hanga Abbey for two weeks in May arriving on May 5th and leaving May 20th. Steve who is a machinist worked at the abbey auto mechanic with a lathe machine. However, Steve proved to be very hand man. He worked not only with the lathe machine, he also repaired laundry machine that had been sitting at the abbey broken for two years. He also did some plumbing work of fixing leaking pipes and endeavored to make water pumps made out of plastic pipes. Such pumps can be used to pump water from deep wells and any other body of water such as river water for irrigation.

Patricia and Steve also brought gifts of soccer and basket balls to the abbey schools. Find in the picture Steve is handing a ball to Fr. Angelo Mugaga the head of St. Benedict Secondary School.

.Below Mr. Steve Heard in construction of a pvc water pump. Further down he is trying it by pumping water from a bucket. It worked!

Patricia Talbot is a nurse by profession. With that background she was hanging out at the abbey health center doing some paper work, taking weights of babies and blood pressure of patients among other things. She particularly was impressed by how people lead hard life and can endure so much pain in their sicknesses such as being treated for boils without anesthetic. She also noted the primitive ways of sensing a hear beat of a fetus. To that effect she and Steve decided to donate money to buy a modern equipment to sense fetus heart beat. We thank them for the machine. Patricia also enjoyed teaching the abbey cooks to make USA foods which included pasta sauce and banana bread.

In the photo Patricia with some of the staff members of the abbey health center; she is also taking bp of expectant mothers.

Celebrating Sunday of the Holy Eucharist (Copus Christi) at Hanga

admin — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:43:28 +0000

It has be customary for the Catholic Church in Tanzania on Sunday of the Holy Eucharist to celebrate it with all pomps. It begins with ordinary Mass celebration and after the conclusion of Mass a Blessed Host is carried in a monstrance and people process with it outside the church on streets for a kilometer or so. As the people process the monstrance is insenced and people sing various songs. It is time for praise to God and meditation as well.

At Hanga the procession is very long involving about 1,000 people which include villagers, monks and students. Like in previous years, this year the celebration at Hanga was spectacular. The little children spreading flowers before the monstrance during the procession were so oustanding.

Below are some sections of the procession.

Hanga Abbey Gets a New Priest, Fr. Ansgar Kaisile, OSB.

admin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 01:49:33 +0000

Fr. Ansgar Kasile, OSB, was ordained to prieshood at Hanga Abbey on May 30, this year 2013 by the retired archbishop Nortbert Mtega of the archdiocese of Songea. Fr. ansgar was born in 1960 in Rulenge, northwest Tanzania and came to Hanga Abbey after his Primary School education making his first monastic vows on 16 June, 1982, and his perpertual vows in 1988. He studied philosophy at Salvatorian Institute in Morogoro, Tanzania, and theology at Cedara Seminary in South Africa. Congratulations to Fr.
Ansgar for responding to the call to serve Jesus’ flock.

Below are pictures of Frater Ansgar on his ordination day.

Arcbiship Nortbert Mtega is laying hands on Deacon Ansgar Kaisile, OSB.

Bishop Placidus Nkalanga and Abbot Thadei Mhagaga, OSB, the abbot of Hanga Abbey are laying hands on Deacon Ansgar

The newly ordained Fr. Ansgar Kaisile, OSB, is delivering his first blessings to the people

Fr. Ansgar with priests, friends and relatives.

Italian Verterinarians Offer Seminar On Animal Diceases

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:37:02 +0000

For more than 15 years veterinarians from Italy have been working at Hanga Abbey cattle farm. They have donated dairy cattle to help the pupils at St. Laurent school (run by the abbey) as well as villagers to have access to fresh milk. Now the children are sure of having a glass of milk every day. Some university students from Italy have taken the opportunity to come to Hanga Abbey to learn and increase their experience in the tropical deceases for cows. In the photos from left: Ambra, Marco and Chiara. Below: a nun from Chipole convent on the left.

This month of May (2013) Mr. Marco, Ms. Chiara and Ms. Ambra have been working at the abbey cattle farm. Mr. Marko also learned about tropical deceases of dogs doing his research at Hanga village. He left the abbey for Italy on May 2 after completing his observation. A little farewell party was held for him before he left.

In the photo above is a farewell party for Mr. Marco

Meanwhile Ms. Ambra and Ms. Chiara are training local people on treating cows with various deceases. One of the trainee in a Benedictine nun from Chipole convent in the diocese of Songea (in Southern Tanzania). Our gratitude to these volunteers as they help people to have access good

In the photos some of the people who participated in seminar on animal deceases

Arcbishop Norbert Mtega Onnounces Retiring At Hanga Abbey

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:30:37 +0000

It was on May 15th after midday prayers at the presence of monks and priests of the archdiocese of Songea when the surprising news came. The archbishop was accompanied by the bishop of Iringa a neighboring diocese who now is the administrator of the archdiocese. the breaking of the news was announced at Hanga Abbey because the priests of archdiocese had gathered there for their special seminar in celebrating this year of faith. Thus it was an official and the right group for the news to be announced.

Abbot Thadei Mhagama, OSB, the abbot of Hanga Abbey giving an address at the refectory (with monks) on the day archbishop Mtega announced his resignation as an archbishio of Songea.

Below from right: the retired archbishop Norbert Mtega, Bishop Tarcisius Ngalalekumtwa of Iringa (the president of Tanzania bishops) and Fr. Gregory Mwageni, OSB

In the photo are some priests of the archdiocese of Songea who attended a seminar.

Making Plastic Water Pumps at Hanga Abbey

admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:21:37 +0000

During the last week of April and the first week of ,2013,US citizens came to the abbey to offer a training in making water hand pumps using plastic (pvc) pipes. Mr. Tom Fitzpatrick with his son Brendan and Mr. Steve Doverspike all from Burns in Oregon, USA, offered their expertize of making pvc pipes to monks, some villagers and students of plumbing from Hanga Trade School. The exercise was very successful. All who attended the training were overjoyed and so were the trainers. In the photo Mr. Tom with his son on his right and Sr. Remigia, OSB and Mr. Steve Doperspike on the left.

Basically, the pump consists of a cylinder and a piston both made of plastic materials. In the pumping mechanism a valve that lets water out and keeps it from returning back is a marble (commonly called goroli in Swahili). A basic pump with a handle connected to a piston inserted in a cylinder;the water comes out though one side of the handle.

The trainers have the hope that this simple technology will spread to many Tanzanians so that they use the pumps to pump water for irrigation and most importantly that they can pump water from wells that have been dug by hands without the need of immersing a container and that the wells can be sealed to prevent them from contamination from debris and running rainwater. Mr. Tom with a student checking a pvc water pump before immersing it into water for pumping.

The trainers also taught the learning group on how to drill wells by drill that can be constructed locally and connected to sections of pipes during drilling depending on the depth of the pit/well depth.

In the picture below Steve and Tom are connecting water pipe to a drill.

Verterinarians From Italy at Hanga

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:52:17 +0000

For more than 15 years verterinarians from Italy have been working at Hanga Abbey cattle farm. They have donated dairy cattle to help the pupils at St. Laurent school (run by the abbey) to have access to milk as well as other villagers. Now the children are sure of having a glass of milk every day. Some university students from Italy have taken the opportunity to come to Hanga Abbey to learn and increase their experience in the tropical deceases for cows.

For pictures go to www.hanganews.blogspot.com

Celebrating the Year of Faith 2013 at Hanga

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:02:21 +0000

The year of faith, 2013, as promulgated by the former pope Benedict has taken quite a stride in Tanzania. The Conference of Bishops in Tanzania has agreed that each diocese have a special crucifix that will be taken around parishes to invigorate the faithful in this year of faith.

At Hanga parishioners, monks at the abbey with students from the abbey institutions had their turn to pay venerate the crucifix for the archdiocese of Songea from April 16-19. It was time for prayer, reflection, and meditation. At Hanga the crucifix was received from neighboring parish of Namabengo and then handed over to Msalaba Mkuu parish. May Jesus strengthen us all in our daily struggles in this year of faith.

For pictures on this event visit www.hanganews.blogspot.com

Hanga Health Center Thanks Volunteers from Europe

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:21:25 +0000

The monks, staff members at Hanga Health Center had to say thanks to volunteers at the center as they bid the visitors goodbye. Mr. Otto and Ms. Alexandra have been working at the Health Center for more than a month in the pharmacy. Both of them are students in pharmacy in Germany. They left mid March going back to their homeland to continue with their studies. Another volunteer who said good bye after working at the Health Center was Frau Willma Haslinger from Austria. Ms. Bertha Mligo, an employee at the Center gets more experience and knowledge in the pharmacy field. She is a nurse by profession but has been assigned to keep medical storage room and do few things as pharmacist. We whole heartedly thank our volunteers.

Below a picture of Otto, Alexandra and Abbot Thadei who is delivering a farewell speech.

. Sitting (from left) are Sr. Anna, OSB, from Chipole Convent, Otto, Elexandra and Bertha Mligo. In the Right picture from right is Frater Lucius Matembo, OSB, the head of Hanga Health Center and our website reporter.

Also Frau Wilma Haslinger had the opportunity of having a cake of goodbye accompanied by Christa, a long time volunteer at the abbey both from Austria.

Hanga Abbey With Its Institutions Struggling to Boost Electricity

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:55:19 +0000

Hanga Abbey has always been in need of electricity. The small hydroelectric power plant which generates about 42KW is no match for the many workshops the abbey has not to count schools and a health center that need the electricity. Built in 1962 it then enough to a small community of monks with few workshops. And over the years the dam has shrunk is size because of the silting making it perenial in terms of generating power. It produces electricity to its capacity during rainy season but during summer time there is little water to have the turbine run 24 hours a day.

To reduce the problem of silt in the dam the monks and students decided to clean it up. By using hand hoes they endeavored to scrap the mud in the dam for a few weeks during March which is during the peak season of rain. Since there is substantial amount of rain it does help to drain away the loose mud dug in the dam floor.

You can see pictures of monks scraping mud in the dam.