Vedastus was a seminarian at the Bidasoa international seminar (Pamplona) and was ordained a priest in August 2024 in his country. He tells us that young people in Tanzania are proud to be Catholic. "When one enters Sunday Mass in Tanzania, more than 60 % are young people.".
Vedastus was born in 1994 into a large family. He is the son of a Catholic mother and a non-Christian father, his vocation arose as a result of a question to his mother. Her efforts to pass on her faith to him and his siblings have been rewarded.
A defining moment in the life of this young priest was when he discovered the real importance of the priests. Their village was seven kilometers from the nearest church and, every Sunday, they traveled that distance to attend the celebration of the Word by the catechists. There was only Mass once a year because of the lack of priests.
The lack of priests in Tanzania thirty years ago was much more urgent than today: there were only two to serve more than thirty parishes. Today, their diocese has 155 religious and diocesan priests serving 56 parishes.
The day a priest came to his village and celebrated Holy Mass, Vedastus was impressed. "I was a very young boy, but I noticed that it was different from what the catechists did. I was very interested. When I got home I asked my mother: Mom, why was today different, who is that man who celebrated? My mother explained to me that the man was a priest and what the difference was between priests and catechists," Vedastus replies.
His mother also told him about the importance of priests for salvation, for imparting the sacraments, for bringing us the Eucharist and forgiveness of sins, and the importance of bringing Christ to the whole world.
"I asked my mother why we didn't have priests every Sunday and she replied that it was impossible, because at that time the two priests there were attending 33 churches. So I told her: When I grow up I want to be a priest to help the Church in my town, so that they will always have priests to teach them the faith and to celebrate the Sacraments. My mother explained to me that I would have to study hard and be very disciplined. She encouraged me, if that was my path, to talk to my father in case they could pay for my studies."
From that moment on, Vedastus asked God every day, if he wished, to make him a good priest so that he could serve the people.
Thus, at the age of 14, he decided to enter the minor seminary not without first facing some challenges. His father, although he gave him freedom of worship and adoration, he was not baptized until 2016. Moreover, his progenitor's wish was for his son to study medicine, something that was also in Vedastus' plans.
"I thought that, if my father was not baptized, I could not be a priest. However, my father told me: I will pay whatever you need to make your dreams come true. Although I am not rich, I know how important it is to study. We may lack even what we need to live, but you will not lack what you need for your studies. This determination on the part of my father provoked in me an immense gratitude. who has guided me to always strive in my studies, because I know the sacrifice it has meant for my family," she explains.
However, he has not abandoned the career of medicine from his thoughts. He says that while he was in Fatima in 2023, carrying out pastoral tasks while residing in Bidasoa as a seminarian, he received a letter from his archbishop informing him that, after finishing his bachelor's degree in theology, he would be able to study medicine, could start a medical career in his diocese.
"It made me think eight years ago when I told my father, after finishing my high school studies, that I wanted to enter the major seminary to train as a priest. That was when my father told me that it was his dream for me to study medicine. After a loving dialogue with my father, we came to an agreement that I could enter the seminary. So this message from my bishop was like a reminder of my first stage and my yes to the voice of the Lord".
After meditating on the request of his bishop, he spoke with him and told him that at this time the career of medicine was "a mountain difficult to climb". However, if the needs of his diocese demanded it, he would gladly study it.
Your training in theology is vital for the formation of your Tanzanian confreres. Despite the shortage of priestly vocations, Catholics are increasing in Tanzania. What is the reason for this explosion of Catholics?
"In my view, the fundamental reason and the basis of everything is that man by nature is religious, he is always related to the divine.. This is a fact that is very strong in Tanzania: we have a lot of respect for the divine. But we must also be grateful for the work of the missionaries who evangelized us, especially the White Fathers. They left an indelible mark, not only on the Catholics, but on the entire population," Vedastus says.
This evangelization of the first missionaries has contributed to strengthen the reputation of the Catholic Church in Africa, not only for its spiritual and salvific function, but also for its numerous social works: hospitals, schools, charities, etc.
"Many people come to God through charitable and social services, because the Catholic Church is the one that always comes to the forefront. But also, thanks to the work done by bishops, priests, religious, catechists and all the pastoral agents, more and more people know the Gospel," says Vedastus.
The number of young people practicing the Catholic faith is impressive.. This young priest admires himself: "The youth is the hope of the Church in Tanzania. Young people are proud to be Catholic and thus attract many friends.. In addition to the fact that the Church is seen as the primary place for encountering God, young people also come to parishes to find a husband or wife, to grow in virtue and to live the truth.
To conclude, Vedastus happily exclaims his stay in our country: "It has been wonderful. I am leaving Pamplona a different person than when I arrived.. I have been impressed by both the human and academic formation. It has been a gift to taste the Catholicity of the Church".
For this reason, he would like to thank all the benefactors of the CARF Foundation who have made his studies possible in Pamplona, living in Bidasoa and studying in the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra.
Be assured of my daily prayers. Together we are part of God's plan for all men to receive the good news".
Marta Santínjournalist specializing in religion.
