Holy Ghost Mission Bagamoyo

The Old Catholic Church in Bagamoyo, officially known as the Holy Ghost Mission, stands as a powerful testament to a pivotal period in East African history. It is Tanzania’s oldest church on the mainland and a living testament to missionary endeavors, the fight against slavery and the dawn of European influence in the region. It is a significant heritage site, blending history, spirituality and artistry into an immersive experience that attracts visitors to the small town of Bagamoyo.

The founding of the Holy Ghost Mission

In 1868, Father Antoine Horner, a French missionary of the Holy Ghost Fathers, arrived in Bagamoyo. He sought a location to establish the first Roman Catholic mission on the mainland of East Africa. At that time, Bagamoyo was a thriving, cosmopolitan town with a diverse population, including local ethnic groups, Arabs, Indians and Europeans. It was also a major trade hub and an infamous centre for the East African slave trade.

The Holy Ghost Fathers gained land from the Sultan of Zanzibar, Sultan Majid bin Seyyid, for the mission. The first church, a simple structure built in 1872, was constructed using local materials in a French Gothic style. This early church was known for its squat tower, which resembled a minaret and was later renamed the Livingstone Tower in honor of the British explorer David Livingstone. This tower became an iconic part of the mission complex, visible today.

Dr. David Livingstone’s tower

The church’s tower holds a significant historical connection to David Livingstone. In 1874, after passing away during his travels, Livingstone’s body was briefly interred at the mission. His devoted servants carried his body to Bagamoyo, where it was kept overnight in the Livingstone Tower before being shipped to Zanzibar and then to England for burial in Westminster Abbey. This event was incredibly moving, with some reports suggesting that 700 enslaved people gathered to pay tribute to the explorer before his body was taken away, marking a symbolic moment in the region’s history.

Growth and expansion

The mission continued to grow, fueled by its humanitarian work. By 1892, it received a large donation of land from a Muslim philanthropist, Sewa Haji Paroo, which helped expand the mission complex. The church building itself was expanded between 1910 and 1914, with a new, larger Romanesque-style church built using dressed coral stone blocks. This church, which still stands today, became known as the New Holy Ghost Church. 

The mission was not just a place of worship but also a centre for education and the fight against the slave trade. Father Anthony Horner established a Christian Freedom Village where ransomed enslaved people could start a new life (now occupied by Marian Girls’ school). The Sisters of the Congregation of Daughters of Mary supported the Spiritans in this endeavor. Villagers earned their living as farmers, gardeners, carpenters, tailors and even printers.

Their days at the village were structured: after morning prayers and Holy Mass, villagers worked for the Mission or attended workshops. In the afternoon, they received religious instruction and singing classes, with the day concluding with a common night prayer. Strict rules against leaving the village after work or inviting outsiders aimed to provide a peaceful and stable environment for the villagers. Many of the enslaved people freed by the missionaries found refuge and care at the mission.

The story of Maria

Maria Ernestina was captured with her mother in 1890 in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and taken to the Swahili Coast. Her mother died on their brutal journey to Bagamoyo. When the caravan arrived, the German authorities were in power, and the slave trade was abolished. The young girl was initially given to the care of a German family, but bravely ran away to the Catholic Mission, where the sisters educated her. She later married Joseph Maganga in 1910, and after he died in 1919, she married Victor Kitiza in 1925. Maria Ernestina died on December 8, 1974, at approximately 85 years old, as the last known formerly enslaved person cared for by the Catholic Missionaries in Bagamoyo. 

The fight against slavery

Bagamoyo was a wealthy and flourishing trading town during the 18th and 19th centuries. Before ivory became the main trading good, its principal products were salt, dried fish and gum copal, a resin from the copal tree. This prosperity, however, was tragically intertwined with the human cost of the slave trade. In the 19th century, about 1.5 million enslaved people were captured and sold in East Africa. Approximately 50% were forced to work locally on spice, rice and coconut plantations or sugar cane farms. The remaining were sent to Arabic countries, Persia, India, South Africa and the islands of Reunion and Mauritius.

In 1863, the Spiritans began their mission work in Zanzibar, where they ransomed many enslaved people. However, as Zanzibar was an Islamic territory, it did not offer a promising future for their work. The Fathers intended to open a mission on the mainland from which they could easily spread out to the centre of Africa. With permission from Sultan Majid bin Seyyid, Bagamoyo was the ideal place. The Spiritans received land for the new missionary and a Christian Freedom Village for ransomed and liberated enslaved people. The official celebration took place on July 18, 1868, with a cross built at the beach and a Baobab tree planted close to the newly built Father’s House. 

The Spiritans focused intensely on evangelizing and educating. They ransomed enslaved people and gave them the possibility to start a new life in the Christian Freedom Village, where they were trained in various skills. Importantly, the Spiritans did not force the formerly enslaved people to become Christians. The fathers also engaged in scientific work, like history and geography. Some Spiritans contributed significantly to the promotion and development of the Kiswahili language, exemplified by Father Charles J. Sacleux, who published many famous works.

Today, the Holy Ghost Mission complex includes a museum. This small museum showcases artifacts and exhibits that tell the story of the mission, the slave trade, and the lives of those who found freedom there. You’ll see tools, documents, and personal items that bring the past to life. The mission complex is set in a peaceful environment, inviting reflection on the significant events that unfolded here.