Women Religious in Kenya Urged to Nurture “individual, collective resilience” to Succeed in Mission as Pilgrims of Hope

He underscored the importance of cultivating a culture of self-reliance among ICLSAL, adding that this “should involve a shift from dependency to empowerment, fostering growth, resilience, and ability to contribute meaningfully to the service of communities of the people of God.”

Dear sisters, Bishop Joya said, “the struggle for making our communities self-reliant is not for capitalization, nor for making ourselves feel comfortable, but specifically to sustain ourselves as members of Congregations and Associations, as well as serve the people of God.”

“This walk of AOSK towards self-reliance recognizes that true service of a congregation often flows from the foundation of self-sufficiency,” the Local Ordinary of Maralal Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in October 2022 said referring to the AOSK 2025 AGM theme.

He called upon AOSK members to remain committed to the path of self-sufficiency, noting that when ICLSAL achieve self-reliance, their members are better equipped to live out their vocations faithfully and to lay the foundation for “a more resilient, prosperous, and fulfilling future for themselves and the future generations of Congregations.”

Bishop Joya reminded AOSK members at the helm of their respective ICLSAL of their sacred responsibility to guide the growth and ensure the sustainability of their respective Orders for posterity.

More in Africa

Missionary Congregation Joins Call for Prayers for 265 Children still Held after Nigerian School Abductions

Read the article

He said, “We should know that we are not only building Congregations for ourselves, but for the future generations to carry on their work as part of the foundation of the Congregations, to minister to the people of God throughout generations.” 

He continued, “A sustainable future of your scale in the mission requires a conscious shift towards practice that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

This “conscious shift”, he went on to say, would involve “integrating environmental, cultural, religious, social, technological, and economic considerations into all aspects of planning and the action of specific Congregations and Associations over your scale.”

“It necessitates a move beyond simply human development that reduces lack of material and knowledge acquisition to actively promote the well-being of the Church and resilience for both members of Congregations, the people in society, and the planet in which we are stewards,” Bishop Joya said.

He underscored the importance of Charisms for ICLSAL, which he described as “the baseline and foundation of every Congregation.”

“To walk steadfast towards a future of resilience, self-reliance, and sustainability in mission requires a dynamic and multifaceted approach anchored on congregational charisms,” said the 60-year-old Catholic Bishop.

He urged women Religious to foster authentic community life and expressed concern over what he described as emerging “religious communities which were never foreseen by the founders of the Congregation or by the Church that approved our Congregations.”

“Your scale needs to embrace holistic development strategies, foster adaptability according to the signs of the times, draw strength from deep faith based on unwavering spirituality, and authentic religious community life,” Bishop Joya said in his July 8 homily.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.