USA RIVER, TANZANIA

Fr. Joseph Lesuliyo Babu C.S.Sp., passed away on Thursday, December, 22, 2016, at St Elizabeth Hospital (Ngarenaro), in the Archdiocese of Arusha, East Africa. He had recently been in poor health, and was admitted to St. Elizabeth Hospital last month.

Fr. Babu will be laid to rest at Usa River Spiritan Cemetery December 28, 2016, starting with the Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 a.m.

Fr. Babu was born in 1917 in Uru Village, Moshi, Tanzania, the son of Mr. Lesuliyo Kiwale and Mama Ndawishoage, and was baptized on August, 19, 1928, receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation on September, 1, 1929.

He joined St. James Junior Seminary in Moshi in 1936, started his Senior Seminary at Kibosho in 1939 and was ordained a priest for the then Vicariate of Kilimanjaro (now Moshi Diocese) at Kibosho on March 1, 1947.   He later became a missionary and joined the Missionary Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers, making his final vows at Ferndale, Connecticut, on September 29, 1950.

As a Spiritan, he served the Usa River Parish with Fr. George Croscenzi C.S.Sp., and Fr. Joseph Seiter C.S.Sp. While at Usa he was involved in the establishment of the East African Foundation of the Spiritans in constructing the buildings of the seminary at Usa River for the East African Foundation. Fr. Babu later served at various parishes and Spiritan missions throughout Tanzania. He retired to Usa River Minor Seminary, where he still enjoyed guiding the young seminarians in their spiritual life and vocation discernment. While retaining his pastoral duties, he also worked as Bursar of the East African Foundation in the 1980s which in 1989 became the East African Province.

Fr Babu will be well remembered for many good works throughout Tanzania as a parish priest and educator.