Our Interview with Father Johaness from Bukoba

Father Johaness Rweyemamu is a close friend of Father Swit and they were actually in the seminary together. Well, now he’s the Financial Controller of Bukoba Catholic Diocese. That means he is the one that handles all things financial with the diocese, including making sure the donations you send to us go to pay for the construction of the convent.

Last September we met with Father Johaness in Phoenix, Arizona, his last stop on a three-month trip here in the States. He agreed to sit down with us for an interview. In our conversation we talked about the problem with evangelization in Bumai and the challenges that Father Swit faces in trying to maintain his flock. In the second half of the video we discuss the booming of priestly vocations in Bukoba which is the reason Father Johaness was in the US.

Scholarships for Seminarians

After our conversation with Father Johaness he put us in touch with his friend and fellow priest Father Thomas who is also from Bukoba, but who now serves as a priest in the Diocese of Phoenix. Father Thomas helped to organize the trip for Father Johaness including getting approval for him to visit parishes across the country including Chicago, Ohio, New Jersey, and Texas.

He was making mission appeals to help raise funds to pay scholarships for the seminarians in Bukoba. It costs $2,500 per seminarian each year. The Vatican provides $500 per seminarian, but they are responsible for the rest. We have since joined forces with Father Johaness and Father Thomas to help provide funds for scholarships for seminarians. If you feel called to contribute to this special fund, please visit our seminarian scholarship page.

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