Our History
The founding of the Mangundze Mission, originally called Missão de São Benedito dos Muchopes-Mangunze, began in July 1911. Its founder was Father Manuel de Jesus Benedict, a diocesan priest, who in 1934 entrusted the work to the Franciscan Missionaries.
In 1975, the year of Mozambique’s independence, the mission was renamed as St. Benedict of Mangundze Mission. At that time, 62.500 people were living in Mangundze, of whom 26.900 were Catholics.
During the nationalizations and the war in Mozambique, the church was closed and the missionaries were forced to leave. By the end of the civil war, in 1997, the work to repair the Church, whose building was badly damaged, began.
Today the building has been repaired and hundreds of people gather to celebrate Mass. People find Mangundze as a place to enhance their Christian life.
