“Faith must be lived within a community”: Bishop to Parishioners of St. Austin, Kenya’s Oldest Inland Catholic Parish

He added, “Thomas was not able to see the Lord because he was not in the community.”

“The community helps you to experience the love of God,” the Kenyan Catholic Bishop said, and appealed, “Join a group. You need a backup. Don’t stay alone. You may not survive.”

Members of St. Austin’s Msongari Parish celebrated their 2025 Family Day under the theme, “Anchored in faith, alive in hope”. It was a celebration of 126 years of evangelization in the East African country.

In his homily, Bishop Kamau underlined the importance of strengthening the family at home, in SCCs, and at the Parish level.

Family Day celebrations at St. Austin's Msongari Parish. Credit: St Austin's Msongari Communications

He challenged the parishioners who were celebrating their Family Day to ask themselves if their own families are stable.

“How far are we building our own families back at home?” he posed, and added, “If you have no home where you come from, then you don’t have a home even here either.”

Bishop Kamau said that there are two families that every Christian should take as models – the family of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and that of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

“Love is what unites these two families,” he said, and added, “There was love, dialogue and understanding in the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. That is why God entrusted His Son to that family.”

As part of the celebrations, St. Austin’s Msongari Parish also launched seven newly established SCCs.

At the launch, Bishop Kamau challenged the Parish to “do even better,” adding, “Without small Christian communities, it will be difficult to build the Church.”

Further underscoring the importance of SCCs, he said, “You come here only on Sundays. How about the other days? That is why we build small Christian communities where we live to come together and pray together.”

Bishop David Kamau Ng’ang’a during Family Day celebrations at St. Austin's Msongari Parish. Credit: St Austin's Msongari Communications

“We bring the life in our Small Christian Communities here in our Church. This is why Small Christian Communities are important,” he reiterated, adding that the aim should be to build the Parish to become a home “such that even if you are rejected out there, where you are working, you feel welcome when you come here.”

The Auxiliary Bishop in ADN since his Episcopal Consecration in March 2000 expressed his admiration of St. Austin’s Church, noting that Kenya’s oldest inland Church had planted a seed of faith across what later became the Archdiocese of Nairobi and Machakos and Kitui Dioceses.

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He said, “I am always proud of St. Austin’s parish and the Holy Ghost Fathers because the Holy Ghost Fathers brought faith to the Archdiocese of Nairobi. I am also talking about Machakos and Kitui. They too were started by Holy Ghost Fathers. The old missionaries are the ones who taught us, even in those days.”

In his address at the Family and Fun Day celebrations, Fr. Henry Omwoyo, the Parish Priest of St. Austin’s Msongari Parish said that the event was more than “just a date on the calendar” for the Parish whose story begun in 1899, when three missionaries of the Holy Ghost Fathers Emile Augustin Allgeyer, Alain Hémery, and Blanchard Dillenseger travelled inland from the Kenyan coast.

Fr. Henry Omwoyo. Credit: St Austin's Msongari Communications

“We celebrate 126 years of God’s faithfulness, love, and grace poured out upon our parish family,” Fr. Henry said, and added, “From humble beginnings in 1899, when the pioneer Spiritan missionaries held the first Mass under the expansive African sky, to today, we stand as a vibrant, living community, deeply rooted in faith and alive in hope.”

He noted that for over a century, St. Austin’s Msongari Parish has been a beacon of faith and unity in inland Kenya.

Family Day celebrations at St. Austin's Msongari Parish. Credit: St Austin's Msongari Communications

“What began as a small mission has blossomed into a diverse family of believers,” Fr. Henry said, observing that the Parish had grown to include communities such as the Catholic International Community (CIC) and the Communauté Catholique Francophone de Nairobi (CCFN).

“For decades, this parish has offered a home, a spiritual haven where generations have encountered Christ through sacraments, catechesis, outreach, prayer, fellowship, and service,” he said.

Fr. Henry Omwoyo. Credit: St Austin's Msongari Communications

St. Austin’s parish also announced the projected opening of its Prayer Garden, a project that commenced as part of the Parish’s 125 years of faith celebrations.

Described as “a sanctuary of peace, reflection, and prayer for all who seek God's voice,” St. Austin’s Prayer Garden that is to be dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is nearing completion. It is to be officially opened on 23 May 2026, the eve of Pentecost Sunday.

This story was first published by ACI Africa on 16 December 2025.