Flavian Kassala
The Holy Father Pope Francis, on 28 April 2016 appointed Rev. Flavian Kassala, director ofthe Stella Maris Mtwara College as Bishop of the Diocese of Geita.
The Bishop elect Kasala is taking over from Bishop Damian Dallu who was promoted to Archbishop and transferred to Songea Archdiocese in March 2014.
Speaking of his appointment the Bishop –elect thanked the faithful of Geita Diocese for their prayers and asked to journey with him again with prayers as he takes his new pastoral ministry as a Bishop.
The new Bishop of Geita was born on December 4, 1967 in Sumve, in the Archdiocese of Mwanza. He attended the St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Makoko, in the Diocese of Musoma, for his primary and secondary education.
From 1988 to 1990 he was a student at the Minor Seminary of Sanu, in the Diocese of Mbulu, and from 1991 to 1992 at the Preparatory Seminary of Kome, in the Diocese of Geita. He completed his formation for priesthood with studies in philosophy at the St. Anthony of Padua Major Seminary in Ntungamo, in Bukoba, and studied theology at the St. Paul Seminary in Kipalapala, in Tabora. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Geita on 11 July 1999.
Since his ordination, he has served the following academic and pastoral roles: 1999-2002: Assistant priest in Sengerema, Diocese of Geita; 2002-2004: Formator and Spiritual Director of the Mary Queen of Apostles Minor Seminary in Sengerema and Diocesan Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies; 2004-2012: Student in Rome at the Pontifical Salesian University, where he obtained a Doctorate in Theology with specialization in Youth Ministry and Catechesis, residing in Nepomuceno College; 2013: Coordinator of the Episcopal Projects Office of the Diocese of Geita; 2013-2015: Professor and Director of St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) in Arusha; since 2015: Director of the Stella Maris Mtwara College, affiliated to St. Augustine Catholic University.
The Diocese of Geita, erected in 1984, is a suffragan of Mwanza. It has an area of 10,697 square kilometers and a population of 943,698 inhabitants, of whom 553,160 are Catholics. There are 15 parishes, 36 priests (33 diocesan and 3 religious), 30 religious women.
By Sarah Pelaji, Kiongozi Newspaper TEC and VIS