At Perpetual Profession of Pauline Sisters in Kenya, Catholic Bishop Cautions against Attachment to “material things”

“Sometimes, when we cling to material things, they make us sad. You might be the richest person on earth, but still feel that something is missing,” he said during the Friday, May 2 Eucharistic celebration at the Daughters of St. Paul Westlands premises in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN).

The IMC Bishop emphasized, “We must be willing to give of ourselves completely. It calls for surrender, for sacrifice, for renunciation.”

Bishop Peter Munguti Makau of Kenya’s Isiolo Catholic Diocese. Credit: ACI Africa

He went on to remind the three FSP members that “it is God who calls” and that the call to Religious Life is not based on personal merit but that it is a divine initiative.

“The call comes from God. It does not come from ourselves. God knows the depths of our hearts and calls us the way we are — rich or poor, educated or uneducated, and by the fact of being called by God, my dear Sisters, that invites us to be humble,” the Kenyan Catholic Bishop said.

He urged the three Pauline Sisters taking their Final Vows to respond daily to God's call with the words, “Here I am, Lord, I have come to do your will.”

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The Kenyan IMC Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in July 2024, first as Coadjutor Bishop and then as Local Ordinary in September 2024, expressed his awareness of the challenges that come with membership in ICLSAL, including being assigned apostolates characterized with difficulties and personality differences and disputes among Religious community members.

For him, the challenges notwithstanding, “joy and peace are found in fidelity to one’s vocation.”

True Religious Life is rooted in humility and obedience, not ambition, Bishop Munguti said.

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He went on to recount, “Sometimes we climb the ladders: I am an Aspirant, I am a Postulant, I am a Novice, I have done my First Profession, now I have done my Final Profession. And we continue climbing the ladders – I want to become the Superior of the community, Superior of the region, Superior of the Congregation – and sometimes we forget this element of being humble. The higher you climb, the more humble you need to be.”

In his May 2 homily, Bishop Munguti commended the three Kenyan Pauline Sisters making Perpetual Profession for responding “freely and generously” to God's call.

Alluding to the Paulines’ mission of “taking advantage of all the technologies of communication … so that always more people can get to know and welcome Jesus”, the IMC Bishop lauded the three FSP members taking their Final Vows for “offering themselves entirely to the Father, to live in communion and to dedicate their lives to evangelization through the means of social communication.”

Credit: ACI Africa

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Reflecting on the Evangelical Counsels of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, the Kenyan Catholic Church leader said, “To live the vows is not easy; to live poverty is not easy; to live obedience is not easy; to live chastity is not easy. But we are called to give our very best, sacrificing ourselves for the kingdom of God.”

He cautioned against what he described as growing dangers of materialism, envy, and comparison, saying they “often afflict Religious Life.”

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In his May 2 homily, Bishop Munguti also cautioned against the temptation to measure worth and success based on status and possessions, saying, “You might have 20 degrees and still be sent to the remotest place. Go! And be a witness of Christ wherever you are sent.”

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He went on to acknowledge with appreciation the support family members give to those, who give their lively entirely to the service of the Lord as men and women Religious, and called upon parents and guardians to “understand and support the demands of Consecrated Life.”

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“We continue praying for our dear Sisters so that they may be faithful in this vocation. May the Almighty God bless each and every one of us to be faithful and be a witness of God's word in our world today,” Bishop Munguti, who presided over the Perpetual Profession celebration implored.

Also speaking at the May 2 celebration, the Superior of the FSP East Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe (EAMZZ) Province established in 2024, Sr. Rosemary Mueni Mwaiwa thanked the three Kenyan Pauline Sister, who had just made their Perpetual Profession for taking the decision to embrace “a life of love, service and complete devotion to Christ.”

Sr. Rosemary Mueni Mwaiwa. Credit: ACI Africa

“Today you stood before God, before the Church, and your community, and you said with all your heart, ‘here I am Lord, I give myself to you forever.’ That is not a small thing. It is not just a promise. It is a lifetime of love, a promise lived out every single day in faithfulness, in prayer, in joy, and even in sacrifice,” Sr. Mwaiwa said.

She continued to laud Sr. Angela, Sr. Clementine, and Sr. Elizabeth for giving themselves to the Lord perpetually, saying, “In a world that often questions lifelong commitment, you have chosen faithfulness; in a world that seeks comfort, you have chosen the cross. And in a world full of noise, you have chosen to listen to the voice of the one who has called you.”

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“As daughters of St. Paul, your consecration is first and foremost a deep union with Christ, a total belonging to Him who has called you by name. It is a love marked by prayer, silence, surrender; a life configured to the master and lived entirely for His glory. But this consecration is not meant to be hidden away. It overflows into the mission,” Sr. Mwaiwa said.

The Nairobi-based Provincial Superior of FSP members in Kenya, Malawi, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe urged the three Paulines, who had just taken their Final Vows to walk in the footsteps of their founder, Blessed James Alberione.

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“You are sent not just to be with Christ but to make him known. You are called to communicate Christ through the media, bringing his light to the digital highways and the heart spaces of our time,” she said, referring to the mission of the Daughters of St. Paul.

Meanwhile, in her message to the three FSP members, who made their Perpetual Profession on May 2, the Superior General of the Pauline Sisters, Sr. Anna Caiazza, welcomed them to the Society and urged them to be “a sign of communion and hope in the needs of the wounded humanity of our time.”

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“Always be in love with Jesus, the most beautiful among the sons of men. Desire and cultivate a relationship with Him,” the FSP Superior General said in her message that Sr. Mwaiwa read out.

Only in being in love with the person of Jesus Christ, she said, “can you be communicators of the good news to the ends of the earth. May He grant you a divine master to be women of the word, women of the covenant, apostles capable of dreaming and signing the new things His Spirit prepares.”

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In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the May 2 celebration, Sr. Angela, one of the three, who took their Final Vows described her journey to the day as one of “joy” and “God’s faithfulness.”

Sr. Angela Mutethya Mwinzi. Credit: ACI Africa

“I can count only on God and His faithfulness. He has been faithful since I began my journey as an Aspirant, as a Postulant, as a Novice, and as a junior professed, and finally, He has proved to me that He is a faithful God and shown me his love,” the Kenyan FSP member, who hails from Holy Family Kabati Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Kitui told ACI Africa.

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She said that her “deepest desire” has been “to serve God wholeheartedly, serving His people in the Church and always giving Jesus to people.”

On her part, Sr. Elizabeth said that her years of formation were marked by grace and growth amid challenges. She said, “Today I’m so happy that I’ve made my Final Profession. I thank God for the journey I’ve made… the challenges were there, but through trusting God and believing in Him, I was able to overcome.”

Sr. Elizabeth Masaku. Credit: ACI Africa

The native of Holy Spirit Ikutha Parish of Kitui Diocese encouraged those discerning their vocation to Religious Life to rely on God, saying, “It is a nice place to be, serving the Lord… Trust and believe in God and you will make it.”

For Sr. Clementine, perseverance and prayer are key to a fruitful vocation. “God is the one who calls, and He gives you strength until the end. You have to trust, you have to believe, you have to pray,” she told ACI Africa.

Sr. Clementine Kathini Maundu. Credit: ACI Africa

The native of St. Martin Matuu Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Machakos also recognized the fact of challenges in human life.

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“There have been challenges, but everywhere there are challenges. I would advise those still in formation, especially Novices, to persevere in their vocation and to pray,” Sr. Clementine told ACI Africa on the sidelines of her Perpetual Profession alongside Sr. Angela and Sr. Elizabeth.