Fr. Damian Msisiri OSB
Dodoma Community Superior

The Benedictine mission continues to unfold across regions and contexts, integrating social, spiritual and pastoral work rooted in the Gospel. In Tanzania, Ndanda Abbey is expanding its presence to meet urgent local needs. On 18 April 2026 the Archbishop of Dodoma, Most Rev. Beatus Kinyaiya OFM Cap, officially inaugurated the new Benedictine mission-center in Dodoma. The ceremony was attended by Abbot Christian Temu, the Regional Commissioner of Dodoma, superiors and delegates from the Ottilien Congregation in Africa. At the congregation level the occasion was graced by the presence of Fr. Maximilian Grund (procurator of the congregation who also represented the Abbot President), Fr. Maurus Runge — mission procurator from Königsmünster Abbey — and Fr. Noach Heckel from the council of the congregation.

Blessed Isidore Bakanja is the patron of the new community, which is in the national capital. Despite assumptions that urban centers are well served, Dodoma faces considerable social deficits: limited schooling, poor health infrastructure and advancing desertification. In five months on the ground the community has already encountered many children who have never attended school. These realities underscore the urgency of a modern, sensitive evangelization that combines pastoral care with practical development.

Education is a central focus. The Abbey’s secondary school currently educates 97 learners, fostering Benedictine spirituality alongside academic formation. Pastoral outreach expanded in December 2025 when Ndanda Abbey was entrusted with St. Francis Xavery Michese parish, five kilometers from the community house. The parish serves an estimated 2,000 active faithful and includes an outstation still under construction. Fr. Samwel Njau OSB serves as parish priest, living within the community.

Practical projects directly improve daily life: the community has completed a borehole to provide year-round clean water to villagers who previously walked up to seven kilometers. Restoration of gardens, rainwater-harvesting techniques, tree planting and catechetical renewal are strengthening pastoral care while addressing environmental decline.

Ecology and agriculture form a distinct dimension of Benedictine witness. Embracing the “Make Dodoma Green” initiative, the community has planted thousands of trees over three years, transforming parched land and combating desertification. Agricultural projects include bananas, maize, groundnuts, cassava and various fruit trees with an acre of grapes expected to yield juice by January 2027. These initiatives model sustainable food production, foster food security and teach stewardship of water, forests and soil as God’s creation rather than commodities to be exploited.

The Benedictine approach — ora et labora (prayer and work) — integrates Benedictine spirituality, education and environmental stewardship. The new mission promotes holistic growth through an Eco Club, vocational formation in the school under the motto “Learn, grow, succeed,” and community engagement that prioritises teamwork and Gospel values.

Despite challenges — illiteracy and lack of primary schools in the vicinity — the establishment of the Dodoma mission is timely and strategic. Supported by Benedictine confrères, benefactors and local partners, the community trusts in Providence and aims to continue proclaiming the Gospel through practical service, ecological renewal and education, bringing tangible hope to Dodoma’s people.