Ieronymos (Muzeeyi) of Mwanza

His Eminence Ieronymos of Mwanza

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Ieronymos of Mwanza is the Archbishop of Mwanza and Exarch of Western Tanzania, part of the Church of Alexandria. His Eminence is credited with the establishment of the new suffragan see of Bukoba under his omophorion.

Life

His Eminence Ieronymos was born on March 18, 1963 in Buloba, Central Uganda to an Orthodox family. In addiction to attending the primary and secondary school, Ieronymos also stayed for seven years at the missionary center in the neighborhood of Namungoona in Kampala (where later would be founded the Archdiocese of Kampala). He was instructed to the Orthodox way of life when still a teenager by Bishop Theodoros (Nankyama) of Naucratis (1972–1992), later Archbishop of Kampala (1992–1997).

After seven years at the missionary center, Bishop Theodoros sent Ieronymos to the Theological School of the University of Athens, where His Beatitude Anastasios of Tirana, then Bishop of Androusa (1972–1991), was professor of History of Religions. His Beatitude was a great missionary himself, having established many missionary centers connecting Greece to Eastern Africa between the decades of 1960 and 1990. Ieronymos graduated in 1991 as Bachelor of Theology, and continued his post-graduate studies in Canon Law also at the University of Athens from 1992 to 1996.

On July 1, 1995 Ieronymos joined the clergy of the Church of Greece as deacon, being ordained by His Beatitude Theodoros (Choreftakis) of Cyrene (1990–1997), now Patriarch of Alexandria. At the time, His Beatitude represented Patriarch Parthenios III of Alexandria to the Church of Greece in Athens.

On February 1, 1996 Deacon Ieronymos was transferred to the Metropolis of Argolis under Metropolitan Iakovos (Pachis) (1985–2013), who ordained him to the Holy Priesthood already under the rank of Archimandrite. In the same year the Church of Greece transferred him to the Patriarchate of Alexandria, where he served at the Archdiocese of Kampala as vicar to Archbishop Theodoros because of health issues.

In 1997, Archbishop Theodoros reposed in the Lord, and His Eminence Jonah (Lwanga) was elevated from the Diocese of Bukoba to the Archdiocese of Kampala. Father Ieronymos was then transferred to the Diocese of Bukoba in Tanzania as vicar to its new bishop, Porphyrios (Skikos). He stayed on this position until Porphyrios' resignation from active service in 1999.

On December 11, 1999 Father Ieronymos was elected Bishop of Bukoba, suffragan to the Archdiocese of Kenya under His Eminence Seraphim (Kykkotis) (1999–2001), now Archbishop of Zimbabwe. The ordination was performed by Patriarch Petros VII of Alexandria (1997–2004). Since His Grace's ordination, many churches have been built in Western Tanzania as well as a seminary for new priests and missionary centers for children and catechumens.

On November 23, 2007, in recognition to His Grace's efforts, His Beatitude Theodoros II of Alexandria and the Holy Synod of the Church of Alexandria elevated the see of Bukoba to Archdiocese of Mwanza, with jurisdiction over all Western Tanzania. Bishop Ieronymos was consecrated Archbishop of Mwanza by His Beatitude on the same day.

In 2009, His Eminence received from the Church of Serbia the Order of Saint Sava. As member of the Holy Synod of Alexandria, Archbishop Ieronymos also was present at the Council of Crete of 2016.

In 2019, thanks to His Eminence's efforts, a new Diocese of Bukoba was established by a Patriarchal and Synodal decree at the recommendation of His Beatitude Theodoros. This diocese, under Archbishop Ieronymos' omophorion, still doesn't have a bishop, and is currently headed by His Grace Agathonikos (Nikolaidis) of Arusha.

His Eminence speaks Greek, English, Swahili, Kiganda and Kisogha.

Sources

• Archdiocese of Mwanza: His Eminence Ieronymos
• Patriarchate of Alexandria: Holy Archdiocese of Mwanza

Succession box: Ieronymos (Muzeeyi) of Mwanza
Preceded by: Porphyrios (Skikos)	Bishop of Bukoba 1999–2007	Succeeded by: —
Preceded by: —	Archbishop of Mwanza 2007–Present	Succeeded by: —

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