BACKGROUND
Introduction
For the effective and efficacious way of carrying out of its services and mission, the diocese of Kigoma has developed an organization structure that defines relationships and assignment of roles. In the diocese of Kigoma the Services to the people of God are carried out under departments, commissions and programmes. In any case, the diocese has always offered its services through 9 diocesan departments namely the Pastoral department, Finance, Caritas, Catechetical, Communications, Education, Health, Liturgy, Lay Apostolate, Vocations department, 1 programme of the Pastoral Refugee Services and the Commission of Justice and Peace. Since Diocese’s purpose is both to evangelise and promote integral human development, this in itself creates two arms or offices of pastoral and development nature that are hierarchically coordinated by diocesan pastoral council. While pastoral office deals with spiritual and pastoral services, the development office is concerned with promotion of socio economic services.
Pastorial office
The main function of the office is to promote evangelization and catechesis through coordinating and guiding all diocesan levels of pastoral activities. The office is also responsible for spiritual formation and nurturing vocations.
Pastoral Department
The Pastoral Department, under the direction of the Bishop and assisted by the pastoral coordinator, has a special role to play in safeguarding the mission of the diocese, and ought to advocate the pastoral solicitude and love in whatever is done in the diocese. This department exists to support, facilitate, coordinate and develop ways of strengthening and revitalizing the pastoral service for the People of God in the diocese and encourages action on behalf of mission. It furthermore assists parish communities in developing a shared vision with an extensive network programs and advocacy. It encourages all approved diocesan approaches and programs by means of formation and training. Moreover, it has the duty to see to it that all the established socio-economic departments and related institutions are moved, in their operations, by the spiritual and pastoral solicitude and love. It is worth noting that the pastoral department works very closely with some departments, offices, commissions and programmes/units that are more pastoral oriented such as the catechetical department, lay apostolate department, liturgical department, Vocations department, Communications department, and social refugee services program, and the youth office
Catechetical
The main function of this department is to coordinate all catechetical activities in the diocese. This involves religious instructions at all levels of the diocese in order to deepen understanding about the Gospel, promotion of faith and spiritual formation. The department runs 2 catechetical centres of Kasulu and Kabanga
Lay Apostolate
The Lay apostolate department in the Catholic Diocese of Kigoma advocates ways for members of each diocesan community to seek “the Kingdom of God ” by engaging in spiritual as well as temporal affairs. This ministry has to ensure that the role of the laity is understood and provides an opportunity for laity to have an input on issues that are pertinent to Church and society. This department coordinates ecclesial movements like Catholic Women Association (WAWATA), Catholic Youth Organisation (VIWAWA), Catholic Students (TYCS), Holy Childhood, pious movements, solidarities, family apostolate and other lay associations. In a nutshell, The department emphasises on the role of the laity in evangelization. Its main function is to promote active participation of the laity in the church through and by enhancing Small Christian Communities, Pontifical Missionary societies (PMS), Holy childhood, youth office, Christian movements, lay associations and family apostolate.
The department provides direction, training, encouragement and it promotes the moral, intellectual and material welfare through formation programs and by elevating their capacity to concretely contribute to the social welfare from the grassroots level. The Diocese is trying to find ways of consolidating this functional department as the key for both evangelization and for tapping both human and material resources for successful development delivery.
Lithurgical department
This another department that is pastoral oriented whose main service is to coordinate all liturgical ceremonies. The department is likewise concerned with organizing trainings and seminars on liturgy and liturgical changes which require specific instructions. The department links the Diocese of Kigoma with the National Secretariat’s liturgical department as well as Vatican. Hence the department is concerned with implementing within the diocese those resolutions and directives from both national level and international level. The Department’s head makes sure that he oversees the functioning of the liturgical committees at the parish level as he does too for the diocesan level
Vocations Department
This department is under Pastoral Office. The main function is to promote and foster vocations to priesthood, sisterhood and brotherhood. This involves preparations for different vocations and nurturing vacations through ongoing formation of priests and religiou
Communications Department
The main function of the department is to emancipate mankind through information dissemination and sharing. The department provides enabling environment to facilitate an improved communication and information sharing mechanisms within the diocese, collaborators and partners. The programme makes every effort at increasing access to information, abridge and diversifying means of communication. It is responsible for devising and developing an effective information management system for easy monitoring all programs in the diocese. In Kigoma diocese, the department is meant to obtain and diserminate news papers, overseeing the preparation and determination of Ibuhana Diocesan bulletin, and updating constantly the diocesan website.
Vision
Our vision is the church as a family of God, committed to holistic evangelization and integral development
Mission
The department works to redeem the total person by promoting bodily and spiritually development through good communication. We welcome the public in the church as she strives to redeem man from the bondage of sin and other human miseries such as poverty, illiteracy, diseases and various forms of injustices.
Objectives
Based on the vision, we venture to aim:
- i:To promote effective communication for effective evangelization
- ii:build and strengthen communication organization structures.
- iii:To involve the youth, women and children in evangelization through group communication and drama.
Presently,we embark on planning a macro multimedia project. The project will be known as COLIC(Community Learning and Information Centre). COLIC is a timely response to uphold Communication as a tool for development. The Centre will have four units:
- 1:Communnity Radio
- 2:Opening learning center
- 3:Public library
- 4:Research center
