November 7, the new Tsangano Parish Church, located 180 km north of the provincial city of Tete, was opened by his Lordship Bishop Diamantino Antunes imc. It was a big celebration, a unique event in this mountainous region on the border with Malawi.

A new parish was also born, the parish of Saint John of Brito of Tsangano, separated from the great parish of Saint Ignatius of Loyola of Msaladzi. The parish of Tsangano has two primates: it is the youngest in Mozambique and the one located at the highest altitude that is, 1800 meters above sea level.

Saint John of Brito, Portuguese Jesuit missionary, evangelizer of the Maduré region, India, is the patron saint of the Parish of Tsangano. He was killed on February 4, 1693. Tsangano is a new parish but has grown since it has 40 Christian outstations (chapels) and about 15,000 Catholics, out of a population of 70,000. It occupies a territory of about 1,500 km: 20 km long and 25 km wide. It is the daughter of the parish of Msaladzi, founded in 1965, and the granddaughter of the parish of Fonte Boa, founded in 1945. These 3 parishes are located in the district of Tsangano. The great evangelizers of the Tsangano district are the Jesuit Fathers.

To brighten up the celebration, Bishop Diamantino Antunes imc, ordained 3 diocesan deacons namely, Sergio Pedro, Batissone Jorge and Joaquim Mavuto, natives of Angónia. The new parish church was small to welcome the thousands of Catholics who came for the celebration. The holy mass was celebrated on open space and the bishop together with the priests followed by the faithfuls, entered the new church for the blessing and the consecration of the altar. It was a celebration of faith, color and joy. At his side, the Bishop of Tete, had almost half of the priests who work in the Diocese of Tete, who attended this ceremony. Catholics in that region, who are used to seeing priests rarely, were amazed at the huge number and variety of priests. With the new parish of Tsangano, the diocese of Tete has now 34 parishes.

* Fr. Justus Pius Ahuga ADEKA is a Consolata Missionary, from Kenya, belongs to the Region of Mozambique, and is doing missionary work in Fingoé, Diocese of Tete.