Fifty years ago, a group of simple Swiss Capuchin missionaries with their apostolic zeal, planted a seed on the good soil of the slopes of mount Kilimanjaro, which would later grow into a huge tree that produced a hundred fold. After showing a good witness of Christian life to the Tanzanian people, the Swiss missionaries were pushed by the over increasing number of Christians to find a nursery for natives who would later stand for their own church and nation. The Swiss Capuchin missionaries found the Franciscan seminary Maua.
The Formation team of the 1970s and some of the founders of Maua.
With the intention of raising religious people for the Catholic church in Tanzania and the whole world, for a golden period of time(50 years), the seminary achieved more than just giving out Bishops, priests, lay brothers, World Leaders, Great Musicians, Scientists etc., it has become an affirmation of success, grandeur, power and always a reference in the education arena.
The foundation on which the seminary was built makes a student to find the seminary not just a place to learn, but a place to build a future and make history. There are students from all over the country which brings the whole Tanzania to one studying at the seminary giving him diverse experiences making nothing impossible. Embedded in a strong Catholic spirituality, fraternity, Franciscanism, unity, determination, to mention but a few, these make Maua seminary to attract the best educators and other workers to come and make the world a better place with innocent young minds.
For 50 years the school has shown an excellent academic achievement, being among the ten best schools in the country for five decades, even further it has given students an opportunity to present the best of themselves in many activities such as national and international competitions which have of course made Tanzania a knight in the world.
In 2009 Allen Kamde, a form three student at Maua received the first prize in SADC Essay writing competition.
When it comes to sports and games Maua appears as a fierce animal not to simply play with to be ashamed, students get a chance to prepare and exercise frequently for sports and games which not only make them perform best in sports competitions but also get a robust health physically and mentally.
My God and My All is what students have in mind every single day as they attend all activities. Having a rich Franciscan experience, like saint Francis of Assisi seminarians get the spirit that whatever they do is for The Lord, for the Church and for the Kingdom, this is because of the spiritual dimension of the seminary, students get a chance to attend Holy mass every day and observe all Church’s feasts and celebrations, get to read spiritual books, having spiritual talks and the closeness of the Capuchin Friars present at the seminary makes the seminars to have one of the greatest spiritual periods of their life.
These 50 years of such a golden strength will be celebrated on October 3rd 2020 at the seminary, with most of the alumni expected to be present to give thanks to God for his blessing for half a century. The Celebrations will start at 9:00 am with the Eucharistic celebration that will be presided by His Grace Jude Thaddeus Ruwaichi OFMCap the Archbishop of Dar es salaam. Every alumni and friend of Maua seminary is welcomed on this day to come to praise and thank God for his marvelous deeds over all this years. When you come you’ll be able to take home something to remind you of the Golden Jubilee such as T-shirts, Cups, and Kitenge. See these things at their promotion page.
