PASTORAL DIRECTORATE

The Pastoral Directorate is a diocesan organ used in evangelization and it was created in 1998 and then revised in 2015 so as to coordinate the pastoral activities in the parishes. It works together with other evangelizing organs such as the pastoral department, catechesis, lay apostolate, vocations, communication, Ecumenical commission and Pontifical Missionary Societies.

(i)Pastoral and Evangelization department

As a Goal, the Pastoral Department which was created in 1998, aims at contributing to effective and integrated evangelization in Rulenge-Ngara Diocese by coordinating the pastoral activities in the parishes. It deals with ecumenism, pontifical mission societies (PMS) and Christian formation.

Among other things, the pastoral department has played a big role in the evangelization process by encouraging the faithful’s involvement in a number of lay ministries; encouraging the reception of sacraments, and creating a spirit of communion and collaboration.

(ii)Catechetics and Liturgy department

It deals with coordinating all catechetical and liturgical activities by promoting religious education program in the Diocese. The department aims at improving on its coverage and access to religious education for all categories of people (children, students at all levels of education, families, pre-sacramental initiations etc.

It coordinates and moderates all the catechetical and liturgical activities of the diocese by offering religious training which includes Married couples/family catechesis, Groups, Schools (kindergarten, primary, secondary, institutes), Pre-sacramental initiation, Out of school pupils/ catechumenate, Mass religious education through the mass media and Catechesis of the Youth. The department also manages the Catechetical Training Centre, which deals with training the on-going catechesis of those who have the task of formation in the community (catechists and those involved in the lay apostolate) and the promotion and controlling of liturgical rites- music and texts, ceremonies and all patterns of worship in general.

(iii)Vocations Department

The vocations Department in Rulenge-Ngara Diocese is charged with fostering and nurturing vocations through Small Christian Communities, family apostolate, religious education and promoting ongoing formation for increasing competent and committed human resource in the vineyard of the Lord.

Families have always served as a pivot for good faith and devout practice in children and young. Invariably, many of the young major seminarians in Rulenge-Ngara Diocese began discerning their vocations while participating in young Catholic apostolate (TYCS) while in secondary/seminary schools and vocations clubs in parishes. There is therefore a vital link between vocational promotion and youth ministry that must be cultivated among our parishes, schools and colleges.

At present, St. Charles Lwanga Katoke Seminary is the nursery for priestly training beginning from form one to form six. Those who successfully complete form six and wish to continue, join Christ the King Prepeauditic Seminary for one year formation program. Candidates who qualify after one year are admitted to the National Major Seminaries for further studies. Currently there are seven Seminarians in the formation program and thirty major seminarians in National major seminaries attending Philosophical and Theological studies

(iv)Lay apostolate department

It plays an important role in the involvement of the laity in the pastoral ministry to exercise their apostolate in the church and in the society as the way of fulfilling its secular mission.
The Diocesan Lay Apostolate Department that was opened in the early 1970s is one of the Bishop’s offices operating under the directions of the diocesan Bishop, the diocesan Pastoral Council and the National Office of Tanzania Episcopal Conference. The department’s main responsibility is to coordinate the activities of the Laity in the diocese by enabling them understand and implement their apostolate within the mission of the church such that they can practically interpret the Gospel in their temporal spheres. It also facilitates the strengthening of the Christian faith and values through organized structures for ongoing formation of the Laity. These include Small Christian Communities (SCC), Youth Ministry, Lay associations and Movements.

(v)Social communication

It deals with providing an enabling environment to facilitate an improved communication and information sharing mechanisms within the Diocese and partners. The programme strives at expanding access to information, simplifying and diversifying means of communication and developing an effective information management system for monitoring all programs in the Diocese.

The Social Communications department has existed in Rulenge-Ngara Diocese since 1960. The raison d’être of this department is to enhance the means of communication in the Diocese so as to ensure access to knowledge and information in the mission of announcing the good news of salvation to all people and the enhancement of socio economic services.

The department has been able to educate and inform the public on various issues through announcements, Newspapers, books, and other reading materials, audio (Radio Kwizera) as well as audio-visual materials.