Dennis Stameza receives the book of Gospels from Bishop Koenig during his diaconate May 11 at St. John the Beloved Church in Wilmington. Dialog photo/Don Blake
As we’ve come to know him, many have become familiar with the international story of soon-to-be Father Dennis Stameza, the native of Tanzania.
He is scheduled to be ordained a priest May 17 at the Cathedral of St. Peter. The ordination will be livestreamed here on the Diocese of Wilmington YouTube channel.
Deacon Stameza, 33, was born in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania and attended Kelamfua Secondary School in Rombo, Tanzania; Lyamungo High School in Moshi, Tanzania; St. Anthony of Padua Major Seminary in Ntungamo Bukoba, Tanzania and St. Charles Lwanga – Segerea Major Seminary in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He graduated from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland on May 8 with baccalaureate of sacred theology and master of divinity degrees.
Several weeks ago, Deacon Stameza named numerous priests who were significant in his life and formation as a priest.
He wanted to be sure to list Father Matthew Munishi, director of counseling services and associate pastor, St. Joseph Parish, Catholic Diocese of Moshi, in his native Tanzania.
It wasn’t until after the newspaper deadline that The Dialog was able to connect with Father Munishi and get his impression of the nearly ordained priest.
“I have known Deacon Dennis Stameza for six years consecutively as he was previously a seminarian in the Diocese of Moshi,” Father Munishi wrote in an email to The Dialog.
“I was the vocations director for the Catholic Diocese of Moshi Tanzania. When Dennis Stameza graduated from six Secondary School he applied to join priestly formation as a seminarian for the Diocese of Moshi. Having received his application letter I invited him for interview and discernment for priestly vocation.
“We accepted him as our seminarian and he was allowed to start his priestly vocation journey by joining the spiritual formation year for one year and then he was promoted to join major seminary for philosophy studies followed by theology studies,” Father Munishi wrote.
“Throughout this time, Dennis Stameza was under my spiritual and vocation guidance as his vocation director.
“There were several things that struck me about Dennis Stameza that made me believe that he would be a good priest that made me uplift his application and continue to support him in his vocation as his vocation director or promotor.
“First, Dennis was a devout seminarian, coming from a devout Catholic family. Second, his deep love of Godly matters and his zeal and motivation to work for God and his people through church was a good sign that he would be a good priest. Third, his genuine commitment to his priestly vocation, his hardworking and self-giving to the service and duties assigned to him as a seminarian was a good indicator that Dennis Stameza would make a good priest in the church.
“I strongly believe that the Diocese of Wilmington, by ordaining Deacon Stameza to priesthood, can expect to have a good, holy, hardworking, committed self-giving priest to pastoral and spiritual duties of the church in the diocese. I believe Deacon Stameza is God-sent as Abraham was sent out by God from his home country to go to do the will of God in the Country that God will command him to go.
“It was our desire and thoughts that Stameza would be a priest in our Moshi Diocese, but God wanted him in the Diocese of Wilmington,” Father Munishi wrote.
