The Catholic Archdiocese of Mwanza is building a magnificent Cathedral whose capacity will be 7,000 (seven thousand) upon its completion. 

According to the Archbishop of Mwanza, Most Rev. Jude Renatus Nkwande, the new Cathedral which is dedicated to St. John Paul II, is ideally expected to be ready for use by next year 2027 if other factors remain constant. 

"It is a hefty budget, costly project, but a noble project worthy spending," he said. The Archbishop explained that majority of the faithful of the

Archdiocese are ordinary citizen but in their poverty and simplicity, they have contributed 100% of what has been realized in terms of construction costs.

Why the new Cathedral is dedicated to St. John Paul II?

According to Archbishop Renatus Nkwande, there are three reasons why the Archdiocese decided to dedicate the new Cathedral to the Patronage of St. John Paul II. The first reason is that when St. John Paul II visited Tanzania - Mwanza in 1990 he celebrated Mass at Kawekamo - the site of the new Cathedral and it was that time when he blessed the foundation stone. 

Secondly, of all the sites where St. John Paul II celebrated Mass during his visit in Tanzania in 1990, the site in Mwanza is the only one remaining in the hands of the Catholic Church and therefore to keep his memory, it is worthwhile to have the Cathedral built right there.