Message by the Manager Fr. Alwyn Michael Joseph DSouza – St. Joseph Boys’ Science Secondary School. Date 23/05/2025. St Joseph Boys’ Science Secondary School, Kituri, Kifaru – Mangalore – Africa Mission. Catholic Diocese of Same, Tanzania
Good morning, Your Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, India — the Patron and permanent member of the Mangalore–Africa Trust, and the spiritual father of the Kifaru Mission, our adopted sister parish.
Good morning also to Msgr. Maxim Lawrence Noronha, Vicar General of the Diocese of Mangalore, Rev. Fr. Rupesh Madtha, Editor of the 86-year-old Raknno weekly newspaper of our Diocese Mangalore, dear Fathers, Sisters, Students, Teachers, and friends of St. Joseph Boys’ Science Secondary — and now High — School.
Let me begin by reminding you of the spirit that guides us — our school motto: “Building Competence and Character.”At St. Joseph, we strive not just to shape sharp minds — we attempt to form full human beings: young men of virtue, knowledge, and purpose.
Today, with immense joy, we witness the blessing of St. Kijito–Rupert Primary School and St. Joseph A-Level High School by His Excellency Bishop Rogath Kimario, in the presence of our beloved Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha. These are not just school buildings. They are temples of transformation, where learning meets life.
Education here is not for certificates or government jobs alone — it is for life with dignity, responsibility, and purpose.To be competent means mastering hard skills: science, ICT, agriculture, communication, and innovation.To have character means embracing soft skills: integrity, courage, empathy, leadership, and resilience.
Our Africa, our Tanzania, is rich in potential. As Kwame Nkrumah the first Prime Minister and then the President of Ghana said:“We face neither East nor West; we face forward.”
It’s time to shift our mindset — from job seekers to change makers.
Don’t ask: What job will I get after graduation?Ask: How many people will I one day employ?What solutions can I create?How can I transform my community?
Africa doesn’t need more job seekers. It needs job creators, entrepreneurs, and visionary leaders.
And remember, your mission begins now — not after university, not “someday.”
As Julius Nyerere, our Mwalimu, reminded us:“The greatest gift you can give to others is service.”
Service isn’t just charity. Entrepreneurship is service. Problem-solving is service. Protecting the earth is service.So, build your competence, but anchor it in character.
Let the words of former Prime Minister of DRC, Patrice Lumumba echo in your hearts:“The day will come when history will speak… but it will be African history, written in our countries, not in Paris or Brussels.” Dear Students in your life you are starting to write that history — here, in Mwanga, at St. Joseph School.
And the Kenyan Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai said:“It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.”What will your little thing be?We are in a time of climate crisis, youth unemployment, and poor health from failing food systems.We must see farming not as poverty, but as power — a means to create wealth, food security, and ecological harmony.
We need you to be entrepreneurs, agro-leaders, and guardians of creation our common home.Ask yourself:
- What business can I start with what I have?
- How can I use science to solve local problems?
- How can I protect the land, water, and people?
You are not just the future — you are the present solution. “He who learns but does not act is like one who ploughs but does not sow.” Says an African Proverb So let your learning be the seed.Let your action be the harvest.
Let us educate not just for jobs — but for life, for service, and for a better Africa and world.May God bless all our students and teachers with a fruitful, successful, and inspiring year ahead.
School Manager’s Vote of Thanks
Now I am hear with hearts full of gratitude and joy, I rise to offer this Vote of Thanks on behalf of the Kifaru–Mangalore Africa Mission and the St. Joseph Boys’ Science Secondary School community.
This is more than a ceremony. It is a celebration of vision, faith, and the fruits of selfless mission.
We begin by honoring Bishop Emeritus Aloysius Paul D’Souza in absentia, whose sacrificial love and far-sighted commitment laid the very foundation of this mission in 2012. Your legacy has taken root in African soil. May your retirement be filled with peace, health, and fulfilment.
We thank our gracious host, His Lordship Dr. Rogath Kimario C.S.Sp., Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Same. Thank you for your generosity, partnership, and paternal support through every struggle. You have embraced this mission as your own.
We extend our deep appreciation to Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha, the current shepherd of Mangalore Diocese, India. This is your third visit to Kifaru, and each time you bring with you strength, encouragement, and missionary fire. Thank you for your unwavering support and visionary leadership.
To Msgr. Maxim Lawrence Noronha, our Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore, India — your quiet wisdom, presence, and kindness have helped sustain this mission. Thank you for standing with us.
We thank Rev. Fr. Rupesh Madtha, Editor of Raknno Mangalore Diocesan weekly news paper, the heartbeat of Mangalore’s missionary outreach for over 86 years. Thank you for ensuring this mission’s story is told and remembered.
Kifaru is more than a parish — it is a sister parish lovingly adopted by the Diocese of Mangalore. And today, we place two new feathers in our mission cap: the opening of a Primary School and an A-Level School.
We are grateful to the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters, Grail Sisters, and Bethany Sisters for their faithful and compassionate presence in our Kifaru Parish. Your witness speaks louder than words.
We express heartfelt thanks to AndersCardinalArborelius, O.C.D., Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm,Sweden, for your support in building not just infrastructure but hope. Thank you to Mr. Charles Camara, Senior Advisor, for your wisdom, stewardship and consistent accompaniment with our faith journey from its very inception of our mission.
To Marilena and her group from Italy, your unwavering friendship, constant contribution has brought joy and light to the children of Rupert Children’s Home and St. Kijito Primary School.
To our anonymous donors and back donors of CDSS— your gifts, small and large, have planted seeds of transformation. You have given not from surplus, but from solidarity, commitment. Thank you.
To our campaigns a word of appreciation:
- Fr. Hilary Lobo, President and Mission Director — your gentle presence and vision
lights our path. Thank you
- Fr. George Crasta, Mission Secretary and School HR — your dedication and pastoral
care, commitment and compassionate support keep the mission beating. Thank you
- Fr. Joseph Rodrigues, Treasurer — your integrity and diligence are the backbone of
our growth. Thank you
- Fr. Victor Machado, Headmaster — thank for being available for 24*7 at the school
for the students and teachers, you are raising leaders through education. Thank you
We fondly remember Fr. Jesudas D’Costa, our former School Campus Director. Though now serving at the St. John Paul II Shrine Chapel, at Mangalore, his spirit continues to inspire us.
To the three MSW guest students from St. Aloysius Deemed University, Mangalore — thank you for being with us. May your time in Africa be unforgettable. And I wish you come back some day to empower those who are in need,
In conclusion:
What our bishops blessed today is not just brick and mortar. It is a seed — a promise of knowledge, growth, and hope.
May our Kifaru – Mangalore – Africa mission remain a beacon of light, learning, dignity, and transformation.
To all of you — near and far, known and unknown — thank you and God bless you much.
Asanteni sana. Munguawabariki.
Fr. Alwyn Michael DSouza,
23/05/2025
Manager, St Joseph Boys’ Science Secondary/ High School
Tanzania
