At Spiritan Parish Jubilee, Nairobi Archbishop Calls for “family structures” Fostering Children’s Spiritual Formation

Credit: Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish/Spiritans/Nairobi/Kenya

“Let us pray together as family members. If we come to church, let us come as families so that we may participate together,” the Kenyan Catholic Church leader said, noting that by doing so, families “unite in the divinity of Jesus Christ, who comes from the divinity of the Holy Trinity.”

Archbishop Anyolo emphasized that “God wants the community of His people to be together with Him” and that “this is possible through teachings and instructions that help us build Small Christian Communities.”

Credit: Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish/Spiritans/Nairobi/Kenya

“The foundation of these communities (the family) is bringing us together before God with His help. This reminds us that even when we are saved by Jesus Christ, we are saved as a community, not just as individuals. Let us walk together,” the Local Ordinary of the ADN said at the December 21 triple celebrations of Parish Family Day, Silver Jubilee, and Confirmation.

The journey to salvation, he went on to say, “begins in the family and continues in the Small Christian Community, in the Parish, and in the Catholic Church.”

Credit: Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish/Spiritans/Nairobi/Kenya

The 69-year-old Kenyan Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 1996 as Bishop of Kenya’s Kericho Diocese encouraged parents to continue journeying with the 200 newly confirmed candidates, noting they are still “too young” to be left on their own.

He said, “Those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation today are young. They know that you, as their adults, are there to support them. They are following your footsteps.”

Credit: Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish/Spiritans/Nairobi/Kenya

“In doing this, they also affirm your faith and strengthen you in your faith. They are doing this not only for themselves but also for every family they come from. When they go back home, please take care of them,” Archbishop Anyolo added at the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of St. Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish run by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.).

He continued referring to the 200 confirmation candidates, “Do not push them away; they still need your care, your attention, your presence, and your example as Christians. That is why they are given the Sacrament of Confirmation: so that the doors to receiving all the other Sacraments may be opened to them.”

In his December 21 homily, Archbishop Anyolo also reflected on the significance of the Christmas Season, describing it as a reminder to the people of God of the value of unity and a moment to reflect on the value of God’s presence in the family. 

Credit: Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish/Spiritans/Nairobi/Kenya

He said, “As we celebrate Christmas, its message is simple: that we unite and become one, one group united by the sacred mystery of Jesus Christ.”

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“The sacred mystery of Jesus Christ is His birth, His life, His suffering, His death, and His resurrection, so that He may grant us eternal salvation. Christ Himself came to invite us in a special way and to remind us that we belong to God,” the Local Ordinary of the ADN since his installation in November 2021 said.

He continued, “Even though He is God, He took on our humanity so that we might receive His divinity. We gave Him our humanity, and He gives us His divinity, so that in us we may have the image and likeness of God.”

Credit: Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish/Spiritans/Nairobi/Kenya

In his homily, Archbishop Anyolo called on the people of God under his pastoral care to remain steadfast and not to give in to despair amid life’s challenges. He invited them to turn to Jesus Christ, who was born in poverty in a manger at a time of widespread hardship—an experience he noted continues to resonate with the suffering and struggles people endure today.

“We too experience such situations. Christ expresses our human feelings, our thoughts, our pains, and everything we go through. We are reminded in our daily lives, especially in families, that even though there are many challenges, God is with us,” he said.

During the December 21 celebrations, three couples marking 25 years of marriage, along with members of the St. Charles Lwanga Kamirithu Parish Pastoral Council, were recognized and presented with certificates.

In his speech, the Parish Priest, Fr. John Kamangara, situated the Silver Jubilee within the lived journey of the faith community, describing the anniversary as a moment of gratitude, memory and renewed commitment.

Fr. Kamangara said that the December 21 celebration marked “25 years Together in Faith as Pilgrims of Hope,” and recalling the start of the Parish that had been an outstation, added, “It’s a blessing that we stand here to witness this day, 25 years since we left Mt. Carmel Ngarariga to form our parish.”

He went on to reflect on the parish’s humble beginnings and steady growth, thanking God “for how far He has brought us” and expressing confidence in the future as the community continues its mission.

“We pray that He walks with us into the future as we continue spreading His word,” he said, echoing the theme of the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope.

The Kenyan Spiritan Priest paid tribute to his confreres, who have shepherded the people of God in the parish since its establishment, noting that for the last 25 years the parish has been under the pastoral care, management and administration of “the religious priests and missionaries of the Congregation of Holy Ghost Fathers, also known as Spiritans, of the Province of Kenya and South Sudan.”

He also acknowledged the many Deacons, Seminarians, and women and men Religious who, he said, “have assisted in the pastoral work of the parish” over the years.

Highlighting concrete signs of growth, Fr. Kamangara recalled that the parish began with just nine Small Christian Communities, which “have grown to stand currently at 26 across our four churches.”

He pointed to the vibrancy of parish life sustained through organized groups, noting that the community now has “10 ordinary and ecclesiastical groups” nurturing faith through pastoral programs, alongside the service of catechists who assist in parish ministries.

The Spiritan Parish Priest emphasized that faith formation remains central to the parish’s mission, cultivated “from our Small Christian Communities to the parish level” and strengthened through participation in programs at Deanery and Archdiocesan levels. In this regard, he expressed appreciation to the Laity, saying, “I want to thank all our Christians and leaders for their immense support to make our parish run as a beacon of hope and service.”

He also linked the parish’s journey to the witness of its Patron Saint, St. Charles Lwanga, affirming continuity between past sacrifices and present challenges.

Addressing the main celebrant, Archbishop Anyolo, Fr. Kamangara said, “Your Grace, we have come from far and we are headed far, guided by the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and emulating our patron saint, St. Charles Lwanga.”

He recalled that St. Charles Lwanga and his companions “died defending our Catholic faith” and urging the people of God to remain steadfast, noted, “We are called to stand with and defend our Catholic faith in the face of mounting challenges and a push by secular forces to deny the Christians faith.”