Diocesan Office
biography of Gokwe
since 24 February 2017
Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Mugara was born on 2 January 1974 in Zimbabwe. From an early age he showed a strong commitment to the Catholic faith and a desire to serve the Church. After completing his early education he entered priestly formation where he studied philosophy and theology in preparation for priesthood. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 August 2004 for the Diocese of Gokwe by Bishop Angelo Floro Martinez. Following his ordination he served in several parishes within the diocese where he gained pastoral experience in evangelization, parish administration and sacramental ministry. Fr. Mugara later pursued further studies at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. Upon returning to Zimbabwe he continued to serve the Diocese of Gokwe in pastoral and administrative roles. In 2024 he was appointed Vicar General and Financial Administrator of the Diocese of Gokwe, assisting the Bishop in overseeing pastoral activities and diocesan administration.
Beyond the diocese, he serves on the Anglican Consultative Council and advocates for climate resilience in semi-arid regions. His pastoral letters—translated into Shona and Ndebele—are read in parishes from Gokwe centre to the border of Lake Kariba.
biography Martin frequently speaks of a "self-sustaining, spiritually deep church". Under his leadership, the diocese has invested in poultry projects, a small press for prayer books in local languages, and a scholarship fund for ordinands from remote villages. He continues to confirm hundreds of candidates each year, travelling by rugged dirt roads.
His biography would be incomplete without mention of his family: his wife Alice (a teacher) and their four children remain actively involved in parish life. The biography often jokes that his "real education" came from listening to grandmothers under msasa trees.