Nairobi, 26 January, 2026 / 11:45 PM
Catholics in Kenya marked the Sunday of the Word of God 2026 on January 25 with renewed pastoral energy, as nine Parishes of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) and a Mombasa Catholic Archdiocese Parish implemented structured liturgical celebrations aimed at deepening engagement with Sacred Scripture.
At St. Stevens Bomu Catholic Parish of the Archdiocese of Mombasa, parishioners said that “the Word of God communicated to them more directly on this Sunday, and it had a great impact,” according to the Parish Priest, Fr. Alex Wanzala.
The Ugandan-born member of the Congregation of the Apostles of Jesus Missionaries (AJ) added that his Parishioners “felt they had been renewed and recalled learning more the Word of God, to read it and to live it.”
First marked on 26 January 2020, the annual celebration, observed on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, was established by the late Pope Francis in September 2019 through his Apostolic Letter Aperuit Illis to promote a deeper love for Scripture within the life of the Church.
Vatican Initiative, Archdiocesan Direction
The 2026 observance marking the seventh global celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God was realized under the theme “The word of Christ dwells among you,” drawn from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians.
Ahead of the celebration, the Commission for Liturgy of the Archdiocese of Nairobi issued pastoral and liturgical guidelines to assist Parishes in marking the day meaningfully. In a circular dated January 16 and addressed to all Priests serving in the Archdiocese, the Archdiocesan Liturgy Coordinator, Fr. Bernard Kabiu, described the annual observance as one that “offers an excellent opportunity to deepen the Clergy’s and the faithful’s reverence for Scripture.”
The guidelines emphasized a solemn procession of the Word, enthronement of the Bible near the Ambo, blessing of personal and family Bibles, commissioning or renewal of proclaimers, Scripture-centered homilies, and initiatives to strengthen parish Bible study programmes.
Pauline Sisters Facilitate Preparations and Celebrations in 10 Parishes
According to Sr. Maria Flavia Ndagaano of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP/Daughters of St. Paul/Pauline Sisters), the Pauline Sisters participated in facilitating preparations and the celebration in the nine Parishes of ADN and one Parish of Mombasa Archdiocese.
The Parishes of Nairobi Archdiocese included Madre Teresa Zimmerman, St. Joseph Kahawa Sukari, St. Clare Kasarani, Our Lady Consolata Kahawa Farmers, Christ the King Embakasi, St. Monica Kitengela, St. Paul Chaplaincy, Holy Trinity Kileleshwa, and St. Michael Lang’ata. In the Mombasa Archdiocese, the Daughters of St. Paul facilitated preparations and celebration took place at St. Stevens Bomu Parish.
Sr. Maria Flavia told ACI Africa that the Sunday of the Word of God 2026 “was a day of excitement to many Christians in the various Parishes since some were celebrating it for the first time in such a special way.”
The Ugandan-born FSP member explained that preparation began the previous Sunday, when “the Christians were requested to carry their Bibles the previous Sunday in order for them to be blessed and those who didn’t have were requested to purchase.”
Scripture at the Center of the Liturgy
According to Sr. Maria Flavia, Priests presiding over Holy Mass used the occasion to stress the central role of Scripture in Christian life. “In the various homilies, the Priests who celebrated the different Masses on the Sunday of the Word of God encouraged Christians to read their Bibles since the Word of God is a source of enlightenment and encouragement,” she said.
At Christ the King Embakasi Parish, Sr. Maria Flavia recalled, “115 Proclaimers were commissioned on this Sunday of the Word of God,” reflecting one of the key priorities outlined in the Archdiocesan guidelines.
She also highlighted the creative elements incorporated into the liturgy. Initiatives were taken, she said, “to prepare for the Procession of the Word of God in a creative way with songs and dances,” while “the place where the Word of God was to placed had to be adorned in such a way that gave it reverence.”
(Story continues below)
The Best Catholic News - straight to your inbox
Sign up for our free ACI Africa newsletter.
The Nairobi-based FSP member added that “there was a special litany that was prepared to be sung by the choir when the Priest is holding the Word of God facing the people after the procession.”
“The Word communicated more directly”
At St. Stevens Bomu Parish, Fr. Wanzala described the celebration as a departure from previous practice. “It was the first time that we were celebrating the Word in the manner we celebrated it with the rite of installation,” he said, noting that although processions with the Bible had taken place before, “they had not ever had the rite of enthroning the Word of God on the Word of God Sunday.”
He acknowledged logistical challenges faced by the liturgical team, including “how they would process with the Word” and “the equipment to use for that day,” but said that despite this, his Parishioners “were excited; they were happy about it.”
Following an evaluation with the liturgical team and parishioners, Fr. Wanzala said participants reported a deeper spiritual impact. “There was a great impact on the Christian community, and also on the liturgical team,” he said, and added, “We look forward to celebrate this Word more profoundly in the future, and we will do much better preparations than we did this year.”
“We have never celebrated the day as we did yesterday”
At Madre Teresa Zimmerman Parish of ADN, Catechist Titus Njapit emphasized the level of preparation undertaken ahead of the celebration. “We actually started doing the preparation … because we wanted to make this day a success,” he said, describing the involvement of parish groups such as the Catholic Men Association and Catholic Women Association in the Bible procession.
Catechist Titus recalled rehearsals held on Saturday, January 24, particularly for lectors and proclamations of the Word of God. “By Sunday, people were ready for this very important celebration,” he said.
Reflecting on the outcome, the Kenyan Catechist noted, “We have never celebrated the day as we did yesterday. Yesterday, it was very colorful.” He added that some parishioners described the celebration as “very nice,” noting that for many, it was a new experience.
He also pointed out that the Bible remained enthroned in the sanctuary in line with Archdiocesan guidelines and said the Parish hopes to include the commissioning of lectors in future celebrations.
Growing Participation and Practical Commitments
At St. Clare Kasarani Parish, Julius Agatia, leader of the Proclaimers, said preparations included “coordinating Bible enthronement rituals,” training lectors, catechesis sessions led by the Parish Priest and the Daughters of St. Paul, and mobilizing parishioners to come with their Bibles.
While the Parish has organized the celebration for the last three years, Julius said that this year “there was higher attendance; more parishioners carried physical Bibles; youth participation was noticeably stronger; and homilies were more Scripture-centred and practical.”
He explained that the Sunday of the Word of God is important because “it renews personal faith and strengthens their relationship with God,” adding that it “fosters unity with the wider Christian/Catholic community.”
Looking ahead, Julius said parishioners are committing themselves to “setting aside regular time for personal Bible reading and prayer” and “applying biblical teachings to family life through the bible study groups.”
Summing up the message of the day, the Kenyan Proclaimer said, “The Word of God is a guide for daily decisions, not just for church.” He emphasized that faith grows when Scripture is lived in everyday life.
Our mission is the truth. Join us!
Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.
Donate to CNA