At Diaconate Ordination of Spiritans, Redemptorists, Catholic Bishop in Kenya Calls for Dedication to “peripheries”

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“We are not ready to move in order to grow and be transformed. We fear committing ourselves in the service of God, especially in places where we are needed most. My brothers, let us dedicate ourselves,” he said.

Bishop Mbinda said that there are many people “out there on the peripheries” waiting to be evangelized, and explained, “If all of us only love to remain in the same developed and advanced areas, then the word of God will not reach many people.”

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He said that in Kenya, in particular, where the ordination took place, there is a shortage of Clergy, and that the people of God in the East African country “thirst and hunger for the Word of God but do not have workers to reach them.”

The Spiritan Bishop appealed to the Deacons he was about to ordain to emulate the first Missionaries who successfully served the people of God with commitment and without comfort.

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“I am motivated by how the first missionaries gave themselves when they did not have all these things we so much desire to have in our mission. Some of them traveled on foot; they did not have cars, there were no roads, and they made the roads themselves. And you can see the seed they planted took firm root until today, and we are their fruit,” the Catholic Bishop said.

He urged those he was about to ordain to be fully active in their mission, in assisting of the Clergy in all Liturgical duties, in proclaiming the Gospel, and in guiding people in prayers.

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The Bishop highlighted other roles of a Deacon, including serving at Mass, as well as offering the Holy Eucharist to the sick who are in homes and in hospitals.

He urged the 15 Deacons to take their roles seriously, especially in preaching the gospel, saying, “When you have the opportunity to preach, prepare your homilies. When you reflect on the word of God, you will have the opportunity to relate it to the ordinary lives of the people you serve.”

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In his homily, Bishop Mbinda advised the newly ordained Deacons to remain faithful to their vows by demonstrating obedience, saying, “Serve God with joy and reverence, and that you may be filled with true joy in your lives. We find true joy when we serve, not with complaining but with commitment.”

He also urged the Seminarians to practice what they teach in order for their lives to align with the call of Christ.

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“Teach your faith by words and by deeds. People read more and are attracted more by our actions. The power lies in our good example,” he said.

The Catholic Bishop called upon the 15 to adhere to the traditions and customs of the Church, which have been “passed down century after century, and these are very important because they show the uniqueness of our church.”

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Calling for the support of the Seminarians, the Local Ordinary of Lodwar said, “Their work cannot be complete without our help, without our prayers, without walking with them, without giving them counsel in their work, without giving them comfort, without helping them with our words and even with our resources.”

He also urged the people of God to prioritize support of Clergy over criticism, saying, “Let us not be the ones who cripple them in their work, but let us be the ones who guide them to do the work as it should be done.”