Strive to “do things God’s way:" Archbishop to Newly Ordained Kenyan Spiritan Priests

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“Jesus told the disciple to put the nets back in the water; it sounded very funny,” the Kenyan Archbishop said, adding that when Peter and his companions heeded to the word of Jesus, “they experienced abundant success.”

Applying the difficult nature of the work of fishing that Peter and his companions lived before encountering Jesus to Priestly ministry, Archbishop Anyolo said, “My dear brothers, we may be struggling sometimes on our own and we may be doing some things thinking that we are serving the lord, but today Jesus is telling his disciples that I have my own way of doing things.”

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Doing things God’s way is all about service, the Archbishop who has been at the helm of Nairobi Archdiocese since November 2021 said, emphasizing the need to draw strength from the celebration of Holy Mass and founding Priestly life around the altar.

“We sacrifice everything because of Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Anyolo said, and urged the Deacons he was about to ordain Priests to be at the service of God’s people.

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“Sacrifice for the good of the people and God will bless you,” he said, and added, “Sacrifice your life; sacrifice everything on the altar of Jesus Christ and bear in mind the spirit of service,” the Kenyan Archbishop told the four Spiritan Deacons.

The life of service involves upholding the dignity of those being served, he said, and underscored the need for Priests to foster celibate relationships, characterized with respect for those under their pastoral care.

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“We should not eat of the people; we should serve them,” Archbishop Anyolo said, adding, “Your celibate life calls you to that.”

As ministers of the Eucharist after being ordained Priests, the Local Ordinary of Nairobi Archdiocese told the four Deacons, “You have been given a chance to kiss the altar; the altar is consecrated and when you kiss it, you kiss Christ.”

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“Your life as a Priest starts at the altar,” he said, and added, “In Kissing the altar, the Eucharist becomes the essential environment in which we minister to the people of God.”

He urged confidence in living the Priestly ministry, saying, “Don’t doubt your Priesthood, but always discern through the challenges you are going to meet. Discern your life of Priesthood and see new signs in all the challenges and difficulties you are going to have.”

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In the process of discernment, “remember you are doing everything for God,” the 66-year-old Kenyan Archbishop who started his Episcopal ministry in Kenya’s Kericho Diocese in February 1996 told the four Kenyan Spiritan Deacons he was about to ordain Priests.

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The Kenyan Spiritan Deacons who were ordained Priests during the June 10 event include Fr. Wenceslaus Nyakundi, a native of Kisii Diocese commissioned to begin his Priestly ministry in the South American country of Brazil; and Fr. Paul Wakoli Waswa from Kakamega Diocese who is expected to join the Spiritans in the Southern African nation of Angola.

The other two newly ordained Priests are Fr. Stephen Abwire Orodi from Bungoma Diocese who has been assigned to the East African country of Uganda; and Fr. Francis Mutungi, a native of Machakos Diocese; he is to begin his Priestly ministry in his native country of Kenya.

Addressing himself to parents of the Deacons, Archbishop Anyolo thanked them for bringing them up in Christian faith, and for facilitating their vocation to the Priesthood and missionary life.

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Giving the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary visiting Elizabeth, the Kenyan Archbishop challenged Catholic Nuns in the nursing profession to reach out to expectant mothers in view of fostering vocations to Consecrated Life early enough. 

Archbishop Anyolo said, “Nuns who are in the nursing field, don’t just go out and look for grown up girls to join your Congregations; start with the women when they are pregnant; do maternity planning with them and visit them.”