Who we are

Who we are

The Mangundze Mission is located between Manjacaze and Chongoene Districts, 240 kilometers from Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and 35 kilometers from Xai-Xai, the capital of the Gaza Province.

Currently, about 140.588 people live in Manjacaze and 150.681 people live in Chongoene. The majority of the population speaks Portuguese but there are other native languages, among which Changana stands out.

The Church of the Mission is known in Mozambique for its monumental size of 15 meters wide, 60 meters long, and 15 meters wide. It was solemnly blessed on September 6, 1942, and it covers 44 chapels (the furthest is located 90 kilometers away).

Today the Church is led by Presbyter Juan Gabriel Arias, an Argentinean priest who worked as a missionary in Mozambique since 2000.

Juan Gabriel Arias, Priest of the Saint Benedic of Mangundze Mission.
He was born on February 27, 1968, in Argentina. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and his first 6 years of priesthood were in Buenos Aires at the “Immaculate Conception of Belgrano”. He had his first pastoral experience in Mozambique in 2000, in the Diocese of Xai-Xai. Upon his return and for 9 years, he was pastor of Natividad de María, located in Barracas neighborhood in Buenos Aires. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Racing Club for four and a half years. He made many mission trips to Mozambique, but it was from 2015 onwards that he settled permanently in the African country.
Juan Gabriel does pastoral work but he is also developing different actions that include social, sports, and health projects, which seek to improve the quality of life of all the inhabitants in the community.

Each of the activities carried out in the Mission benefit all persons without distinction of gender, race, language, or religion.

In 2016, the Associação Benéfica Nyikani Mavoko was created to complete and support the development of the different initiatives in the Mangundze Mission. Some of the most important partners of this organization are the Messi Foundation, Scholas Occurrentes, Mangundze Mission Health, Cascos Blancos, and many other organizations that contribute to the development of the community and to promote their human dignity.