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Bishop in Kenya Urges Young Catholic Adults to Remain Spiritually Vigilant amid Challenges

Bishop Henry Juma Odonya of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale. Credit: Capuchin TV
Nicholas Waigwa

By Nicholas Waigwa

Kitale, 16 December, 2025 / 4:56 pm (ACI Africa).

The Chairman of the Commission for Youth Apostolate at the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) has called upon the young people in the country to remain spiritually vigilant despite the many social, economic, and personal challenges they face today.

In his Monday, December 15 homily for the Young Catholic Adults (YCA) thanksgiving Mass and funddrive, Bishop Henry Juma Odonya of the Catholic Diocese of Kitale encouraged the youths in Kenya not surrender to despair but rather see themselves as agents of transformation.

“As a commission, we are very hopeful because you are the people who will transform our country,” Bishop Odonya said during the event that was held at St. Peters Clavers Kiminini Parish of his Episcopal See.

He added, “Among you are professionals. Some of you will be CEOs; others will serve in public service and government. Who will transform Kenya if not you and me?”

Bishop Odonya who has been the Local Ordinary of the Kenyan Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in January 2023, reminded the YCA members of the value of personal responsibility noting that societal problems such as corruption begin at the individual level.

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“If we want to transform Kenya, it begins with you and me,” the Bishop said, urging young people to live lives rooted in integrity, faith, and service, always ensuring that Christ remains at the center of their lives.

He said, “We need the grace of Christ to become his true friends of Christ, walk with Christ, and live with Christ. Christ came into the world not to enslave it, but to set it free. Whoever is with Christ is a free son or daughter of God — one who brings positive transformation.”

“Bring that positive transformation into your families and workplaces,” the 49-year-old Kenyan Catholic Church leader said, urging the young to  “be vigilant, especially spiritually,” hopeful despite the pressures weighing heavily on them.

Bishop Odonya called upon the youth not to give into despair or allow the struggles of life such as “unemployment, economic hardships” to push them into “the strong temptation to put God aside.”

He said, “The world is full of challenges. Sometimes you lose hope because of the burdens and difficulties you experience. Some people do not understand you. You feel trapped, with no way out, and you begin to lose hope.”

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Bishop Odonya encouraged the youths not to give in to despair, saying, “It is easy to put God aside because of what is happening in the world today. It becomes easy not to live a life of prayer, a life that recognizes God’s mercy and forgiveness in our lives, but remember: Jesus always loves you.”

“Let us help one another and recognize the greatness and authority of Christ in our lives. May Christ lift us up. May Christ bless us. May Christ guide us,” the Chairman of the KCCB Commission for Youth Apostolate said.

Nicholas Waigwa

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.

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