75 Years of Brothers of St. Joseph in Kenya Occasion to “look back at beginnings”: Nuncio

“So, look back on your life and see how already your parents had contributed to your religious life as you live it today and try to imagine how they brought you to baptism, and how most of you were brought up religiously, and how maybe a Priest or little Sister or Brother or friend influenced your life,” he said.

Archbishop van Megen continued in reference to those who have had an influence in the journey of the members of the Brothers of St. Joseph, “It is good to see them all, to picture them all one by one, to remember their actions and listen again to what they said, and to see how they have been a source of inspiration to you.”

“They were a source of wisdom but then also it is good to see the direct traces of God in your life,” the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya who also represents the Holy Father in South Sudan said.

Use the occasion of this diamond jubilee, the Nuncio said, to reflect on “how God might have influenced you through a passage in the Holy Scriptures, or maybe just during the celebration of the Eucharist, in a word that you heard in a confession, or maybe you were just very much taken by the signs of creation.”

“All these different occasions we may record in our hearts and give praise to God for those great gifts so as to see and to understand where we get that wisdom from,” the Archbishop who has served as Apostolic Nuncio since 2014 said.

Reflecting on the history of the Brothers’ Congregation that is headquartered in the Archdiocese of Nyeri, the Dutch-born diplomat recalled that unlike any vocation, the Religious Order of the Brothers of St. Joseph “started in a hidden way.”

“Fr. Witte, inspired by the Holy Spirit, judged that the moment had come to start up their Congregation of Brothers and he understood better than others of his time that a new Congregation should not be infected by any colonial thoughts,” the Apostolic Nuncio said.

He continued, “Fr. Witte was convinced that a new Brothers’ Congregation should have a right on its own, not depending on or serving any European missionary congregation.”

“The missionaries, he says, that will be involved in the Congregation should be at the service of this new Brothers’ Congregation and then leave it immediately once the Congregation is able to stand on its own feet,” Archbishop van Megen recalled the inspiration of the founders of the Kenyan Religious Order of Brothers.

He said that Fr. Witte was “prophetic” and that in a sense, he was a true father of the Holy Spirit. The Nuncio added, “Missionaries should be at the service of the Brothers’ Congregation and not the Brothers at the service of the missionaries.” 

“Everyone should be a Catechist and each one will be taught a useful trade in the workshops,” Archbishop van Megen said in reference to the charism of the Brothers of St. Joseph.

“How close is your life to that of the Holy Family,” he posed, and continued, “This might be another way of doing memorial to see how close your life is to that of the Holy Family, to see that in the simplicity of life you are close to the life of Jesus.” 

The Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya and South Sudan who doubles as the Permanent Observer to the United Nations Environment Program and Human Settlements Program added, “It's not about studies. It's not about always being in the spotlight. It's much more about working in the silence of the house, teaching children under a tree, or working in the field.” 

He underscored the need to live the Catholic monastic practice of working and praying captured in the phrase “ora et labora” that is associated with St Benedict. 

Archbishop van Megen said, “My work is prayer and my prayer is work; it simply wants to say that everything I do, fixing the car, working on the field, cleaning the dishes, can and must be to praise God. It must be a job well done to the major glory of God.” 

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At the same time, the Archbishop continued, “Prayer can be very much work especially in those days and moments when you don't feel like praying. Prayer is very much also a duty to which one has to commit himself.”

“Let your prayers be perfect like your work; let it be committed,” he added.

Archbishop van Megen implored, “On this day of your Jubilee, may your Congregation continue to grow in holiness and may each and every one of you through the work of this Congregation and through the support of the Brothers around you grow ever closer to Jesus Christ, our and your Master.”

Also speaking at the April 30 event, the Superior General of the Brothers of St. Joseph said, “Marking 75 years of existence as a Congregation is truly a milestone that calls for celebration.”

“It is also a very special occasion in the life of the Church family. Jubilee is a time to deepen our examination of conscience. It is a time to celebrate God's Grace and faithfulness,” Br. Titus Walela added.

Br. Walela further said that the Diamond Jubilee of the Kenyan Congregation provides an occasion “to give God the praise, put the past failures and disappointments behind, and look to the future for a more productive life.”

“Our celebration today is to keep alive the message of God's love and what he has done for us as a Congregation. When we consider a commitment of 75 years to any lifestyle, that milestone is rare, if ever reached,” the Kenyan-born Brother said.

He continued, “We thank God that through the intercession of St. Joseph and our dear Mother Mary, we have made it with his assistance. Today, the whole congregation, led by the representative of the Holy Father, has gathered to celebrate us, our vocation, our life of service. But above all, we celebrate God, his call, his faithfulness, his mercy”, which has kept us alive.

“This milestone is a historic opportunity to shape our future together in Kenya and beyond. This celebration is an offering to you all as our Congregation clocks a new age,” the Superior General of the Brothers of St. Joseph said.

He went on to implore, “May this anniversary come with the blessings of a new season and in the excitement of today, may the joy that knows no bounds be upon all of us. May the joy of the Lord never be absent in this Church now and forever.”