PARISH HISTORY
Mabughai Parish is in the western Usambara Mountains about 12 kilometers from Lushoto Township. The parish is inMabughai village along the country road which connects the town of Lushoto and those of Mlalo and Mtae.
Initially Mabughai was one of the outstations in Lushoto Parish. Priests from Lushto would come to this outstation for masses and other celebrations of the sacraments. Many of the Catholics in Mbaughai have been the indigeneous of this area but some of them have been employees in the local educational institutions and other local lumbering industries.
While an outstation of Lushoto Parish, the Holy Ghost Fathers whose Novitiate House ocassionally helped with the ministry at Mabughai. Rev. Fr. Damian, OSB has been helping with pastoral work in this outstation since the times when he was teaching at Magamba Secondary School in 1970s and even when he began working at Mazinde Juu Secondary School in late 1980s.
With the permission from the Bishop of Tanga, Fr. Damian transformed the Mazinde Juu Homecraft Institute Center for women into a Mazinde Juu Girls Secondary School towards the end of 1980s. As Fr. Damian engage himself in building up the school, he extended his presence to helping the faithful in Mabughai to better their worshipping place. The church building for this outstation was so small. With his support Fr. Damian, the faithful in Mabughai responded to remodel their outstation church building.
As the days progressed the population of the Catholics continue to increase in this area. A number of institutions began in the area and many people from other places came to settle in the area. The increasing number of the Catholics could not longer be accommodated in the old church which was small in number. This situation led to the need of the bigger church. Fr. Damian continued to work with the local Catholic to resolve this need. They decided to build a bigger modern church. When they finished to build this church, Bishop Anthony Banzi came for its dedication and this outstation was elevated to become a parish of its own. St. Benedict became the patron saint of this Parish and Fr. Damian, OSB was made the first resident priest in-charge of this new parish.
Fr. Damian’s zeal for the educational wellbeing of the local people is beyond compare. To provide the local young people with the good educational foundation, Fr. Damian has began a St. Benedict English Medium School at the parish to provide the primary school level local children with basic skills in English Language, mathematics, and sciences to help them be competitive to enter and excel in their secondary and post-secondary education. This school is a great gift to the local children who were not well prepared in their primary education.
At this time, Fr. Damian has plans to have other buildings in the parish. He is planning to build priests’ house (rectory) as well as sisters’ residence with the intention of having nuns live and minister in this parish.
The native priest from Mabughai Parish is: Augustino Mahonge (2009) who is the diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois (USA).
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