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“Tumsifu Yesu Kristo…….Heri ya Pasaka…. Pasaka njema...” we hear these joyful Easter greetings in Ki-Swahili language as we meet people in our Mission.  We, Fr. Alwyn D’Souza and Fr. Rony Pinto, bring you the same joyful greetings of Easter, from the foot hills of Pare Mountain range at Kifaru, Same Diocese, Kilimanjaro Region, East Africa. 

Indeed we were overwhelmed with joy to celebrate our first Easter Service in the soil of Tanzania.  The Easter Vigil celebration at Kifaru Mission was an awesome experience for both of us.  First of all, Easter being the greatest feast of our liturgical calendar and as the 30 percent Christians in Tanzania, celebrated it in great solemnity with profound prayer and worship. Secondly, we celebrated the Holy Week Liturgy for the people of God in their own mother tongue Ki-Swahili.  
The Good Friday liturgy on 29th March 2013 began at 2.30 pm at Kifaru with the Way of the Cross, from the edge of the Dar es Salam - Kenya highway, till the Church up at the foothills of Pare Mountain range.   The day’s liturgy was conducted in Ki-Swahili, which concluded at 5.30pm. Around 100 people participated with great devotion in the Good Friday service.
On 30th March 2013, Saturday evening at 5.30pm the Easter Vigil Mass began with the blessing of the fire outside the Church.  Heavy rain lashed few minutes after the blessing of the fire and lighting of the Pascal Candle. The dark rain clouds made the evening darker and due to lack of electricity in this locality, the Pascal candle was the only light that lit the Church.  The darkness intensified the significance of Easter Candle light and reminded us that ‘Jesus is the light of the World’. 

We had a meaningful and enjoyable celebration with seven readings from the sacred scriptures, five from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. The Easter Vigil and the Mass concluded at 8.15 pm.  The air was filled with joyful celebration as the congregation sang hymns with full gusto in their African style rhythmic dance and clapping of hands to the tempo of the African drum beats, that charged this special night with the real joy, peace and happiness of the Risen Lord. People were delighted and happy that we celebrated the Easter Vigil Liturgy in their own Ki-Swahili language at Kifaru Church for the first time.

There were two adult catechumenates Lucia and Jacinth received new life through the waters of baptism during the Easter Vigil and became the new family members of Kifaru Church through the accompaniment of Mama Leonarda, who is a retired teacher and an enthusiastic catechist at Kifaru.

On 31st March 2013  Easter Sunday Masses were celebrated at Kifaru, Kalimangi and Kileo, the out stations of Mwanga Parish, which will eventually come under the Kifaru Parish once it is established in a couple of months.  It’s by celebration of the Holy Week Service in Ki-Swahili language, we were able to reach out and touch the people of God, in their spiritual quest.  We could see much happiness in their faces.

We thank the Risen Lord, for having given us this experience and the Grace to launch our spiritual mission on the day of Easter.  It was significant that Sr. Lilis B.S. the Asst. General of the Mangalore Bethany Sisters and the Procurator Sr. Christina B.S. were present for the Easter Vigil Mass at Kifaru.  The Bethany Congregation has begun their new African Mission in Mwanga Parish, Same Diocese, Tanzania. 

We thank all of you dear friends and well-wishers for your loving accompaniment and prayer commitment for the Mangalore Africa Mission.  We pray and wish you and your family peace, joy and happiness in Jesus the Risen Lord.  Wish you a Happy Easter Season and an experience of the out poring of the Holy Spirit! “Pasaka njema...”