By Frt. Cosmas Clement
The history of Christianity in Kondoa Diocese is as old as the History of the nineteenth century Missionary mission which gave birth to the Church in Tanzania which lasts to date. Church historians tell us that Kondoa was the gateway to faith in the central region, especially Dodoma. So the Christian faith we have just received has its origin in the missionary efforts of the Holy Ghost fathers from Moshi.
Before entering Missionary services, Kondoa used to have Arab colonists who came primarily for trade, including, slave trade and ivory. This means that until the advent of Christianity Kondoa had embraced the Islamic faith, especially in the Northern part of Kondoa as the Arabs were more centered on that side.
After the Missionaries of the Holy Ghost fathers (priests of the Holy Spirit) entered Moshi in 1890 from Zanzibar, and established several parishes in Moshi Diocese including Lame Parish and Kibosho Parish, they began looking for other ways to spread the good news. In 1907 Father Andrea Krieger (originally German) left Kilema (Moshi) in northern Tanganyika with the intention of spreading the Gospel. Father Krieger Andrea was accompanied by; Brother Timoteo along with other four Catechists Oktaviani, Albert, Petri and Zefrin. Following the narrow streets of Arab traders, they reached Ula (present Kondoa). Father Andrea Krieger (who later became known as Father Kafefe) celebrated the first Mass in Kisese on August 18, 1907 under the Baobab tree along with his superiors only, because these Missionaries found quite a big part of Kondoa had become Islamic in faith.
Father Kafefe made great efforts to establish the Christianity in this area. He preached the Gospel in parts of Choray, Dumb, Changaa and Wisi. He eventually found a church building site in Gwandi area where Kondoa Parish Church is located to this day. The construction of the Kondoa Church was completed in 1910. His efforts bore fruit three years later.
The first 60 (sixty) christians were baptized in Kondoa Church on Christmas Day in 1910. By reading the signs of the time Father Kafefe prepared 11 local catechists, as missionaries in Kondoa. He also established 13 Out-Stations of Kondoa Parish namely: Kolo, Tumbelo, Changaa, Loo, Ausia, Sega, Dalai, Kwancharai, Bolisa, Muluwa, Baura, lhalala. Father Kafefe continued to spread the faith in remote villages from Kondoa, such as Haubi, Mondo, Goima and Kinyasi where he made the factions of Kondoa Parish at that time, the Out-Stations that later became the Parish under the Passionist Fathers.
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