Newly ordained priest assigned to St. Stephen's

'I am a missionary here,’ says Father Casmir Mung’aho WARWICK - Father Robert Bubel, parochial vicar of the Church of St. Stephen, the First Martyr, recently left for his new assignment at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Father Casmir Mung’aho, who was ordained on May 14, has arrived to assume that position. “We are blessed that for the fourth time in recent years the archbishop has decided to assign a newly ordained priest to our parish,” said St. Stephen’s pastor, the Rev. Michael McLoughlin. “It is a great honor and a great responsibility. Although we will miss Father Bob, we welcome Father Casmir and look forward to his priestly ministry.” Mung’aho, 33, is from Nyagasense Village in the United Republic of Tanzania, where he was the youngest of 10 children born to Alexacha Cacha and Zita Kasigwa Mung’aho. His teachers were Maryknoll priests and he attended all Catholic schools up to and including college and seminary. “I can’t remember when I didn’t think I would become a priest one day,” said Mung’aho. “I was inspired by my mother who attended Mass every day. My vocation evolved as I was growing but it was always a calling. I wanted to share the word of God with the other peoples of the world and celebrate the Eucharist.” Mung’aho is fluent in three languages: Kengoreme, Swahili and English. Approximately five and one-half years ago he came to the United States to pursue his graduate studies. He first earned his masters of arts degree in theology at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He later entered St. Joseph’s, the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York at Dunwoodie in Yonkers. Mung’aho graduated from St. Joseph’s with both a master of divinity degree and a master of arts in moral theology degree. When asked if he would ever consider returning to Africa as a missionary, Mung’aho replied, “I’m from Africa. I’m a missionary here.”