Nairobi, 01 June, 2025 / 11:25 PM
Archbishop Philip Subira Anyolo of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) has urged the people of God in Kenya to keep alive the legacy of the Servant of God Maurice Michael Cardinal Otunga in engagements and sharing that make known the virtues he exemplified, especially to younger generations.
In his address at a fundraising dinner for Cardinal Otunga's beatification process, held at the Consolata Shrine on Friday, May 30, Archbishop Anyolo reflected on key aspects of Cardinal Otunga's life and encouraged the people of God in the East African nation to emulate the life of the Servant God whose sainthood cause is in progress.
The Kenyan Catholic Archbishop emphasized the importance of communicating Cardinal Otunga's legacy in a simple and relatable manner, just like the Magnificat, which he said transcends generations.
He said that passing across the Kenyan Servant of God’s legacy would not be successful “unless we are talking about it, we are communicating it in the way that those generations will understand.”
Archbishop Anyolo expressed concern for the future of the youth within the Church and emphasized the need to help the young “know the foundation of this Archdiocese”, where the Servant of God, Kenya’s first Cardinal, ministered as Local Ordinary.
“Let us pray for our youth,” the Local Ordinary of ADN appealed.
He acknowledged the commitment of various institutions involved in the cause of Cardinal Otunga’s cause of Sainthood for their efforts in bringing youth to the event.
The Catholic Church leader encouraged widespread communication about the late Servant of God, noting that some Clergy and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL) were still unfamiliar with him.
He expressed hope that efforts to share Cardinal Otunga’s history would multiply and expressed gratitude to the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP), also known as Pauline Sisters or Daughters of St. Paul who prepared a screenplay that was showcased at the dinner on the life of Cardinal Otunga.
“The first process we are doing of a Saint not only for Nairobi but the whole country is Cardinal Otunga. So… the young people have a right to know him even more,” he said.
Archbishop Anyolo called upon families to provide enough information to their children so that youths “understand what we are doing so much that they may carry it in their hearts and minds in the next generations.”
The Local Ordinary of Nairobi since his installation in November 2021 encouraged the people of God in Kenya to emulate Cardinal Otunga in supporting vocations to ICLSAL and to “continue awakening the spirit of vocations in the world.”
“I want to encourage you my dear brothers, friends, and family of Cardinal Otunga to the awakening of vocations because the lack of vocations is a grave and chronic problem in the world,” he said, noting that while Kenya may not face a significant shortage of vocations to Priesthood and Religious Life, many other countries do.
The 69-year-old Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 1996 as Bishop of Kenya’s Kericho Diocese expressed gratitude for Cardinal Otunga’s contributions to the spiritual growth and development of the Archdiocese of Nairobi and called for the fostering of unity across tribal lines for collective growth.
He went on to urge the people of God under his pastoral care to embrace a life of prayer especially the Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Michael Cardinal Otunga that has been widely shared in the Kenyan Metropolitan See.
He said, in reference to the prayer, “We are doing it in the church, we are doing it in the community but make sure that prayer goes to the family. The interest and love of His Eminence Cardinal Otunga is rooted in the family.”
Expressing hope in the success of Cardinal Otunga’s Sainthood cause, Archbishop Anyolo said, “We shall continue waiting to see the wonders of God, not only in a bigger perspective but also in the smaller perspective of the family.”
“We want to assure ourselves that Cardinal Otunga will be a Saint. In being a Saint, his life will sanctify our life as well,” he said. Archbishop Anyolo encouraged all to embrace the virtues of Cardinal Otunga, highlighting humility, love, and service. He thanked everyone who participated in the May 30 fundraising dinner.
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Cardinal Otunga’s cause for Sainthood cause started in 2009 when the then Archbishop of Nairobi, John Cardinal Njue, petitioned the Vatican-based Congregation for the Causes of Saints to approve the process.
The request was granted. Declared “Servant of God” in 2010, Cardinal Otunga’s cause of Sainthood is in the Roman Phase, which involves the examination and verification of documents (evidence) submitted by the petitioner.
These documents are examined by a group of theologians and reviewed by another group of experts. If the review is favorable, the documents are submitted to the Holy Father for approval and subsequent issuance of a Papal decree confirming the virtuous life of the candidate to whom he confers the title, “Venerable”.
Looking into the future, there has been optimism that the Servant of God who passed on 6 September 2003 Cardinal Otunga will become the first Kenyan-born saint. He has been described as an embodiment of perseverance, patience, and trust in God. His humility and patience saw him win the hearts of many.
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