Fr. Adam Cytrynowski, MAfr (White Fathers), is interviewed by Fr. Piotr Chmielecki, SCJ, Deputy Secretary for Foreign Missions of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, about missions in Tanzania - including how God defeated shamans who “prayed” for rain in exchange for money, and why a woman cannot raise her children after the death of her husband.
What does the daily life of a missionary who is also a parish priest look like?
Let me start by saying that living and working in the city is very different from what happens in the villages. I worked for five years in the big city of Dar es Salaam. The day starts at 6:00 a.m. with the recitation of Lauds together with the parishioners, then Mass, then breakfast. Every day the parish office is open - in fact, we had two offices because there was always a line of people waiting! People come to register, for example, issues concerning mixed marriages - it often happens that one party is Catholic and the other is either unbaptized or of another religion. If such a couple lives together and wants to baptize their children, this also requires a visit to the parish office. Another topic handled at the office involves parish Caritas matters: someone is sick, someone is in the hospital - a whole range of such issues. In Tanzania, the Church is organized around small Christian communities. Even in big cities, it doesn’t work the way it does in Poland. The parish is divided into sectors of 20-30 families each, and these groups meet in homes once a week for prayer. Each community has its own leaders. If someone comes looking for help, we give them a form which they have to take to the leader of their small community. I, as a missionary, meet with these leaders twice a month to discuss Caritas issues and requests presented. In Tanzania, there is a strong emphasis on the participation of lay people in the work of the Church. Every month, there is a parish council meeting where the priest and vicars meet with the council to plan parish activities.
What is the most interesting situation you remember from your mission work?
Once, I was driving to the access chapel and saw that many people had gathered at the school - a sign that something unusual was happening. It was theoretically the rainy season, but not a single drop of rain had fallen for three weeks. So the village leaders (who were not Catholics) invited a shaman to "pray" for rain. The village chiefs required everyone to attend the ritual. During such gatherings, the amount of money each family had to contribute to the shaman was negotiated. I approached them and asked to exempt Catholic families from attending during the Mass. I also told them that "for us Catholics, the work of these gentlemen (shamans) who come for money means nothing. We want to pray for rain to the one true God." I was granted permission to celebrate the Eucharist. I remember that when we started, it was very sunny. I chose the harvest and rain prayers from the missal. It was after Holy Communion; the Mass had already lasted about three hours. During the thanksgiving, I heard thumping sounds: "knock, knock, knock," and suddenly people ran out of the church shouting. I didn’t know what was happening. A huge downpour started... After two months in this access chapel, the number of catechumens - adults preparing for baptism - tripled (!). Situations like this show me that the Lord God has better missionary methods than anything man could devise.
What is the most difficult situation you have experienced?
In 1999, while riding a motorcycle, I collided with a cow. I felt myself losing consciousness... However, I managed to see a rosary lying next to me, which had fallen out of my pocket. People put me on a bicycle - there was no other transportation. At the hospital, the nurse began washing the dirt off me, but I received no further treatment - the X-ray machines weren’t working. The bishop sent a car to take me to the curia in Kahama. Following our car, three Dutch doctors who worked 180 kilometers from Kahama arrived. They helped me a lot, examined me, and discovered that I had internal bleeding. I was sitting in the hospital (literally unable to lie down) when a confrere brought me a letter from my mother, which read: "Dear son, I haven’t heard from you for a very long time, but I always remember you and pray the rosary so that the Blessed Mother protects you with her mantle." When I read this, I recalled the rosary I found next to me right after the accident. I am convinced that Our Lady was involved in saving my life.
How does culture affect the daily lives of Tanzanians?
I must admit that African culture and traditions are deeply rooted in the people. We bring the Good News, but we see that even those with higher education, when facing problems, come to church and pray — and then go to local witch doctors. Even wealthy individuals, including business owners, keep charms from "witches" hanging in their shops to bring prosperity.
Let’s talk about the role of women in Tanzanian society. In Africa, social roles are quite different than in Europe, aren’t they?
Since I arrived in Tanzania, the position of women in society has changed significantly. I remember the first woman who became Minister of Justice - it was a remarkable event not only for Tanzania but for all of Africa. Her appointment sparked public discussions about women’s rights. In Tanzania, when a woman marries, she essentially "joins" the man’s entire clan. If her husband dies, she is often left with nothing. All jointly acquired property - money, livestock, even the house and children (!) - belongs to the husband’s family, not to her. It was common practice for widows to be forced out of their homes and return to their families of origin, while the children were raised by uncles. Sometimes the widow would be expected to marry her deceased husband's brother and become his second or third wife. Mary Nagu, the minister I mentioned earlier, began strongly advocating for women not to be treated as property. Over the past 20 years, women have gained many rights. Such injustices still occur, but mostly in small villages. In cities, women now inherit their husbands' property and raise their own children. Things are moving in the right direction nationwide.
In many African countries, community life takes precedence over Western-style individualism. What about Tanzania?
In Tanzania, the extended family - the clan - is of central importance. Even after marriage, it’s virtually impossible to "start your own life." As I mentioned, a woman joins her husband's clan when she marries. When someone dies, the entire clan gathers for the funeral. After the burial, they meet to decide who will care for the orphaned children. I remember the death of a 37-year-old man who left behind a wife and two children. I attended the post-funeral clan meeting where they appointed a relative to act as the children’s new "father." This person also becomes the widow’s primary point of contact within the clan for any future support or decisions.
Fathers are highly respected in Tanzanian society. If your father visits - even if you already have your own family - you cannot refuse him anything. Sometimes fathers take advantage of this respect. For example, if a son owns a bicycle and has plans to use it, but the father comes and asks to borrow it, the son cannot say no. That’s one of the reasons small Christian communities work so well here. Even in large parishes, people are not anonymous - they’re part of a small community. If someone wants their child baptized, they first go to the leader of their small community, who writes a recommendation letter for the parish priest. If someone shows up at the parish office asking for baptism, the first thing the priest asks for is that letter. This system works very well, especially in large urban parishes where it's impossible to know every parishioner personally.
Why did you get involved in the construction of deep wells?
Because I saw firsthand that many illnesses are caused by dirty water. Once, I had a meeting with catechists in a village. These meetings always end with a shared meal - in this case, ugali, a cornmeal porridge. In Tanzanian villages, people usually eat from a shared pot using their hands. The catechist began eating, and when he pulled his fingers out and I went to serve myself, I noticed dark marks on his hands. I stopped eating and asked him to show me his hands - and honestly, I’m even embarrassed to talk about it now. His hands were simply dirty. I told everyone present that if they didn’t take care of their hygiene, their families and children would constantly be sick - and they’d never be able to cure them. That moment was a turning point for me, both practically and spiritually. Since that experience, I’ve been deeply involved in fundraising and building wells in Tanzania. Preaching the Word of God is beautiful, but if you say that God loves you and wants you to be healthy - and then back it up with action, like building a well that provides clean water - that’s when the Word truly becomes real and alive. Seventy-five percent of all illnesses in Tanzania are caused by drinking contaminated water, but I know that we can change that. This tragic situation can be improved.
In every village, you’ll find shallow wells or mini-ponds that residents dig themselves to collect water - but this water is not safe to drink. Still, many people use it because they have no other option. When I worked in youth ministry, I visited many Catholic schools. The nuns running them often pointed out how difficult it was to operate without access to clean water. That’s when I began raising funds to build wells at these schools. I quickly noticed that once a well was built, school life and the students' well-being completely changed. These young people became healthier, happier - just different. For the past 15 years, I’ve been raising money to build deep wells in villages, especially near schools. In Tanzania, water systems exist only in major cities. Outside of those cities, water problems are enormous.
