Kenyan Catholic Archbishop Cautions Youths against Threats to Marriage and Family Life

“Marriage is a lifelong journey of conversion, communion, and fruitfulness, an adventure in which Christ walks beside you, sustains you with His grace, and calls you to become saints in the everyday events of your life,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of ADN reminded the young people in the Archdiocese that in responding “yes” to the vocation of marriage, they “mirror Christ’s love for the Church and build up the Body of Christ, bringing light and life to every corner of society.”

Archbishop Anyolo urged the youths under his pastoral care to draw inspiration from the holy family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, a model of “perfect unity and faithfulness” as they discern God’s plan in their lives.

“Let the Blessed Virgin Mary teach you obedience to God’s word. Let St. Joseph inspire you to courageous service; and let Jesus, the Good Shepherd, guide your hearts to generous self-giving,” he said.

In the pastoral letter dated July 28, Archbishop Anyolo made reference to couples celebrating matrimonial jubilees in marriage and Family Life during the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, and underlined the need to protect the marriage institution.

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He described the Golden and Silver Jubilee celebrations of married couples, held on Saturday, August 9, during the Archdiocesan Family Day, as not only personal milestones but also profound witnesses to God’s enduring faithfulness and love.

“In honoring the married couples whose years of mutual love and fidelity reflect the very heart of Christ’s covenant with His Church, we give thanks for the grace that has sustained them through every joy and trial,” he said.

He said that the Jubilarians “decades of sacramental union have been a living witness to this sacred mystery,through daily acts of self-giving, forgiveness, and shared prayer, they have built a home rooted in faith, hope, and charity.”

“Through the years, they have grown old together while they kept the freshness of the first days of love,” he said, and added, “Their mutual love teaches us that true intimacy blossoms when each of them continually seeks the good of the other, reflecting the Lord’s own merciful, tender heart.”

Archbishop Anyolo reminded the Jubilarians of Christ’s promise from the Gospel of St. Mark, “What God has joined, no human being must separate”.

He noted that the couples’ love and fidelity, strengthened through years of shared trials and triumphs, serve as an invitation to the entire community to place deeper trust in the Lord’s plan for marriage.

“May the Lord continue to pour out on you every blessing of spiritual joy in the communion of your families, and may your witness inspire younger generations to build homes anchored in prayer, service, and the unbreakable bond of sacramental love,” he implored.

In his letter, Archbishop Anyolo also emphasized the need for not only holy families but also families that are stable, describing such families as a “domestic church,” where the Gospel is first proclaimed, lived, and handed on.

“Holy families also serve as leaven in society,” he said and went on to list the family’s four fundamental tasks as “forming a community of persons; serving life; participating in the development of society, and sharing in the life and mission of the Church.”

When Christian spouses witness fidelity, mutual support, and concern for the poor and the vulnerable, he said, “they propose a countercultural model in which commitment and solidarity trump individualism.”

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Archbishop Anyolo also acknowledged with appreciation the great number of religious men and women in the Archdiocese of Nairobi who celebrated their Jubilee anniversaries in 2025.

Archbishop Anyolo who has been at the helm of AND since November 2021 said that the faithful witness of religious men and women in the Archdiocese, as well as their lifelong commitment to prayer, service, and community life continue to enrich the Church in countless ways.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.