By Chesco Msaga, C.PP.S Tanzania
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood (CPPS) marked their 60th anniversary in Tanzania with a two-day celebration on July 1 and 2, 2026, highlighted by a challenge from leadership to expand their Precious Blood Spirituality across the African continent.
Very Rev. Fr. Emanuele Lupi, CPPS, the Moderator General, urged the Tanzanian Province to lead a new wave of mission work. “The African continent is waiting for this dream to become reality,” Fr. Lupi said during an incorporation Mass on July 1. “Do not be afraid to accept the challenge of the mission, that could lead you to live in those new cultures where we have not yet arrived, but which so much need to know the richness of the spirituality of the Blood of Christ.”
The anniversary event also served as a milestone for the growth of the order. During the July 1 liturgy, four new missionaries were definitively incorporated into the Congregation: Deacons Gervas Kway, Gregory Mbwete, Ladislaus Lussato, and Samson Masiko. The celebrations culminated the following day on July 2, drawing a crowd of more than 5,000 devotees and parishioners. The anniversary’s climax Mass was presided over by the Archbishop of Mbeya, Most Rev. Gervas Nyaisonga, who officially ordained the four newly incorporated missionaries into the diaconate. Joining the celebration were Bishop Edward Mapunda of the Singida Diocese and Bishop Antony Lagwen of the Mbulu Diocese.
Government Commends Historic Partnership
Representing the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Deus Clement Sangu, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office for Labour, Employment, and Relations, praised the long-standing relationship between the state and the religious order.
In his address, Minister Sangu expressed gratitude for the historic collaboration between the government and the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in combatting poverty, disease, and illiteracy across the nation.
A Legacy of Growth
The CPPS mission in Tanzania began humbly in 1966 in Manyoni, located within the Singida Region. The groundwork was laid by three Italian pioneers: Don Giuseppe Montenegro, Don Dino Gioia, and Brother Franco Palumbo. They were later joined by missionaries from Canada and the United States, navigating a vast region that lacked basic infrastructure and faced severe isolation.
Six decades later, the Tanzanian Province has grown to include 118 definitively incorporated members. Today, its missionaries serve not only in Tanzania but also internationally, with active ministries in Italy, the United States, Germany, and Canada.