Hanga Abbey

Two Hanga Students Recieve Division I on National Exams

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:06:44 +0000

Two Hanga Form 4 graduates have recieved Division I on their National Exams. Cyprian Luambano from St. Benedict Secondary School and Demitrius Sanga from Hanga Religious Seminary scored top marks on the national exam. Congratulations to Cyprian and Demitrius and all of the Hanga Students! To see how all of the students fared, click on the links below.

St. Benedict Secondary School Form 4 National Exam Results

http://www.moe.go.tz/NectaResults/CSEE2009/s0768.htm

Hanga Religious Seminary

http://www.moe.go.tz/NectaResults/CSEE2009/s0157.htm

Frt. Octavian Thomas Masingo OSB Ordained as Deacon

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:49:13 +0000

On January 6^th, 2010, Rev Frt. Octavian Thomas Masingo OSB was ordained as a Deacon at the Church of St. Matias Mulumba Kalemba, Archdiocese of Songea by Right Bishop Alfred Maluma of the Njombe Diocese.

Dedication of ST. JOHN BOSCO NAKAGUGU FORMATION HOUSE

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:34:20 +0000

On December 3rd 2009, The new Church of St. John Bosco was blessed by His eminence Cardinal Polycarp Pengo at the Nakagugu formation house. The Church was built under the direction Rev Bishop emeritus Plasidus Gervas Nkalanga OSB, the formator of Nakagugu.

The celebration was very nice and many people came to celebrate.

Hanga Vocational Training Center Celebrates 2009 Graduation

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:38:06 +0000

On the 11^th of November we celebrated graduation of 13 students from our Vocational Training Center. Eight girls and five boys successfully completed their education this year. In the morning the Abbey Monks held a mass for the graduates with the whole VTC in attendance.

After a blessing of the graduates and a wonderful mass, the students celebrated their accomplishments at the Vocational Training Center.

Hanga Religious Seminary Celebrates 2009 Graduation

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:15:16 +0000

On the 22^nd of October 2009 we celebrated the graduation of Form Four in our Seminary. An impressive mass started the celebration and feast. All students participated in the days activities as they celebrated mass together as a learning community for one last time. Before the readings, five Form Four students presented the bible.

The headmasters of all three Hanga schools attended the celebration along with our Monk and Bishop Plasidus Nkalanga. Many students from Hanga’s schools also attended, and the girls of St. Benedict danced for the celebration. Hanga Religious Seminary’s marching band also intermittently and enthusiastically preformed throughout the day.

The day ended with dancing and joyful celebrating in the main hall.

Saint Benedict’s Secondary School Celebrates 2009 Graduation

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 07:27:35 +0000

Saint Benedict’s Secondary School celebrated Form Four gradation on the 26^th of September 2009. The students of Form Four sang skillfully at holy mass, which started the day of celebration. The choir’s enthusiasm added excitement to the celebratory mass. After mass, the ceremony continued at St. Benedict. The main hall was decorated for the occasion and the Seminary’s Brass Band preformed.

There was a rich program with a lot of singing and dancing performances by the St. Benedict students. Many relatives attended the celebration.

It was a joyful day for everyone!

HIV Testing Begins at the Dispensary

hangaabbey — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:51 +0000

On March 26, 2009, Hanga Dispensary opened its doors to anyone who wanted to get tested for HIV. Their first client was the Head of Hanga village. He set a great example for his community by coming in for HIV testing. Villagers may fear the results of the exam, but workers in the dispensary have made it clear that there is a support network for those who find out they are HIV positive.

Girls Football Ground at St. Benedict

hangaabbey — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:23 +0000

Sunday, March 8 was the premiere of a new football ground in Hanga, reserved for the girls of St. Benedict Secondary School. The students worked hard, under direction of Fr. John Chrisostum, to clear the field and build goal posts for this special opening day.

The ground’s first match was an exciting one between the Form III and Form IV girls. After a tough battle, the Form IV girls triumphed 1-0. The sidelines were completely filled with shouting, laughing, and cheering fans.

Here in Tanzania, a girls sports program is hard to find. Only a few female football teams exist, so the girls at St. Benedict are thankful for this opportunity. Last year, German volunteers Anne Schacht and Lennart Burau helped coach the girls. It didn’t take long for these new footballers to become comfortable with the sport. We look forward to many more exciting matches from these talented girls.

Hanga's 50th Jubilee

hangaabbey — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:29 +0000

Hanga Abbey celebrated its 50th Anniversary Jubilee on August 20, 2008. Hundreds of special guests attended, including Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, Archabbot Jeremiah Schröder, Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, and Archbishop Norbert Mtega. Guests came from all over the world to join the celebration: Germany, Italy, Austria, Uganda, Korea, and the USA, as well as guests from all parts of Tanzania. With so many guests, the Jubilee mass had to be held outside. A special structure was constructed so that the Hanga monks, special guests, villagers, and students could all worship and celebrate together.

The Jubilee ceremony was filled with inspiring speeches and music. The choir was directed by Br. Buzaliwao and sang beautiful songs, including some compositions by former Abbot Alcuin Nyirenda.

Many Tanzanian officials thanked Hanga Abbey for their service to the nation, including Regional Commissioner Monica Mbega and District Commissioner Gabriel Kimolo. The Jubilee mass was said by Polycarp Cardinal Pengo, and Abbot Primate Notker Wolf gave the homily in Kiswahili.

After the jubilee mass, the celebration continued with delicious food, cake, and many types of music and dance. The Hanga Seminary brass band played fun music throughout the day. St. Laurent Primary students showed off their English skills by reading poems and singing songs in English. Special dancers came from different tribes of Southern Tanzania for entertainment. And a three-piece rock band had everyone dancing for hours until the power finally ran out late at night. Then through the night and early hours of the morning, Hanga villagers formed drum circles and played traditional Tanzanian music.

The jubilee celebration was a time to recognize some of the monks from Hanga Abbey. Br. Ignas Danda celebrated his 25th year as a Benedictine monk. Also honored were the brave pioneers of Hanga Abbey who traveled into the bush fifty years ago to found a monastery. Three of the original founders were recognized during the ceremony: Fr. Gregory Mwageni, Br. Joseph Chinunda, and Br. Bonaventure Malibiche, who has since passed away. Hanga Abbey would never have been possible without their courage, insight, and motivation.

“Phoenix Rising” Completes Historic Tour

hangaabbey — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:25:10 +0000

Riding into Hanga after weeks on the road, the participants of “Phoenix Rising” were treated to a heroes welcome upon their return. Coming up the final hill into Hanga the riders appeared beat, but they reassured the crowd of students and monks that they were excited to be back.

Leaving on the 2^nd of May, these three riders of “Phoenix Rising” departed Dar es Salaam and slowly pedalled their way home for the cause of raising school fees for the many students of Hanga who cannot afford to pay them. These young men have been and continue to be fundraising for this cause in the U.S and Europe and are ecstatic about the support the tour has received so far.

To read stories about the journey, see pictures of the ride, or just to find out more about the tour check out the website at http://www.hangaabbey.org/index_files/rising.htm. They riders would like to personally thank those who have already contributed to “Phoenix Rising” and have helped to make it the success it has been. But while they are excited about the donations the fundraiser has received so far, they are still a ways away from reaching the set goal of $25,000 to create a significant endowment for the students. So, if you are still interested in donating to this special cause you can visit this page http://www.hangaabbey.org/index_files/helping.htm and follow the directions posted.

Thanks again to all those who have helped in this educational cause and for giving the students of Hanga the opportunity to make a difference in their own lives.