All roads are leading to Arusha as the Most Reverend Archbishop Isaac Amani celebrates his 50th Anniversary of church service in the city, on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Archbishop Isaac Amani Massawe who was born at Mango in the Diocese of Moshi, Tanzania, on 10 June 1951 was consecrated priest on 29 June 1975, which should be 50 years ago.
He is currently serving as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Arusha Archdiocese comprising catholic churches of Arusha, Simanjiro and Kiteto.
The Archdiocesan Head of Communications, Apolinari Shio, said more than 50,000 people are gathering in Arusha for the historical ceremony to mark the ‘Fourth Leadership of Archbishop Isaac Amani,’ an event which takes place on the grounds of Saint Theresa Church, the Arusha Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral.
Bishops and priests from all the 35 archdioceses of Tanzania as well as other church leaders in the neighboring countries are gracing the 50th anniversary of His Grace Isaac Amani at St. Theresa which is the oldest church in the Northern Tanzanian City.
Brethrens from all the dioceses of Arusha and surrounding regions are attending the event, which means the gathering features nearly 60,000 brethren in attendance.
Archbishop Isaac Amani attended the diocesan minor seminary of Saint James in the Moshi municipality of Kilimanjaro Region, from 1966 until 1969.
Amani then studied philosophy at the major seminary of Ntungamo in the Diocese of Bukoba from 1970 until 1972, and theology at the major seminary of Kipalapala in the Archdiocese of Tabora (1972–1975).
Isaac Amani Massawe was consecrated priest on 29 June 1975.
And later, from 1986 to 1989 Amani served as a teacher and vice-rector of the diocesan minor seminary of San Giacomo di Moshi.
In 1990, when Pope John Paul II toured Tanzania, Isaac Amani was studying at Walsh University in North Canton, in Ohio, where he graduated in 2003.
During this period, he exercised his ministry in several parishes in the United States.
Afterwards Amani returned home settling at his homeland in Kilimanjaro, serving at Cathedral of Christ the King of Moshi.
Between 1999 and 2004 he served as chaplain for the diocesan congregation of the Brothers of the Redeemer.
On 21 November 2007, Isaac Amani was appointed Bishop of Moshi by Pope Benedict XVI.
He then got ordained on 22 February 2008, by Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, the co-consecrators were Josaphat Louis Lebulu, the Archbishop of Arusha, and bishop Amedeus Msarikie, his predecessor in Moshi.
The late Pope Francis appointed Isaac Amani to be the Archbishop of Arusha, on 27 December 2017.
A year later in 2018, the President of Tanzania, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, graced the occasion of Isaac Amani’s consecration as Metropolitan Archbishop for Arusha.
Among Archbishop Amani’s achievements is overseeing the transition of Mwenge University College of Education into attaining full University status in 2014, when he was the Chair of its Governing Board.
Mwenge Catholic University became the second Catholic University in Tanzania.
Accounting for nearly 10 million members in the country, the Catholic Church is the largest religious institution in Tanzania and the most influential Christian denomination