St. Benedict's Abbey Peramiho

Statistics

There are two canonically erected houses which make up Peramiho Abbey:

1. St. Benedict's Abbey Peramiho (Archdiocese Songea).
2. St. Raphael's Priory Uwemba (Diocese Njombe).

The community has in 2004 about 75 members:

21 priests,
34 brothers with final vows,
11 brothers with temporary vows,
3 novices,
5 postulants and
4 candidates.

Of these about 60 live at the Abbey itself, while the others work and live in Uwemba Priory and in various parishes in the dioceses of Njombe and Mbinga.

Our activities at Peramiho:

At the abbey the monks are in charge of the following:

1. Peramiho Parish with 15 outstations and 28000 Catholics.
2. Vocational Training Centre the students of which (including a number of religious brothers and sisters) are trained in various trades such as mechanics, electricians, tailors and carpenters.
3. Nurses’ and Midwives’ Training School.
4. The hospital with more than 300 beds and two leper settlements.
5. Peramiho Printing Press and Peramiho Publications which specialize in religious books, periodicals and calendars.
6. EMAU Spiritual and Conference Centre.
7. A farm with 500 cattle and 180 pigs.
8. Other workshops: Goldsmith, flour mill, building section, etc.