“Serve now and serve permanently”: Archbishop in Kenya to Nuns at Perpetual Profession

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The Kenyan Catholic Archbishop underscored the value of “restlessness” in prayer and service, and assured the four Kenyan Daughters of St. Paul repeating the fruits fortitude and fidelity to their religious vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty, supported by the angels.

The Archbishop who has been at the helm of Nairobi Archdiocese since November 2021 encouraged the four Kenyan Sisters to remain faithful to their vowed life through service.

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Hinting to the apostolate of FSP members whose founder, Blessed James Alberione, saw the power of the media “to reach and move” people who were quitting the Church in droves and wanted to have “these same powerful means at the service of the evangelization in the Church”, Archbishop Anyolo told the four Sisters that God had called and sent them because they are “now ripe” to evangelize through social communication.

“God sends you because He knows that you are now ripe. Go to the world and magnify the presence of the Lord through the media, through the books, and through everything, so that God can also watch over the world,” he said in his June 17 homily.

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Applying the feelings that Jesus manifested in his prayer for unity and during His public ministry that involved service to humanity, Archbishop Anyolo encouraged the four FSP members and women Religious to emulate the same and “feel with Christ” in their apostolate.

“The Sisters are called to feel that fire of Jesus Christ from their hearts; that will in turn inspire them to celebrate the ministry of service in their lives,” the Local Ordinary of Nairobi Archdiocese who started his Episcopal ministry in Kenya’s Kericho Diocese in February 1996 said.

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He explained, “Jesus is talking to God about what he feels for the people He is leaving behind; this is what should motivate us in our calling to serve God and should motivate us in our deep longing for consummation of everybody and everything in one communion of peace, love and unity.”

Addressing himself to the parents of the four Kenyan FSP members, the 66-year-old Catholic Archbishop cautioned against regrets in giving their daughters to God’s service perpetually and challenged them to count the vocation of their respective daughters in Sisterhood “as blessings”.

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“Our parents need to remember that God has blessed them; they should not end up old and dying gracelessly; they should live gracefully and count on their children in Religious Life as blessings,” he said, and added, “Don’t regret having given your children to God.”

In her message read out to the four FSP members by the Delegate Superior, Sr. Rosemary Mueni Mwaiwa, the Superior General of the daughters of St. Paul welcomed the four to the Congregation as perpetual members and urged them to be “generators of life.”

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“With the energy of the Spirit, communicate the life that dwells within you and be generators of life, (prophesy communion), and witnesses of a new world,” Sr. Anna Caiazza said in her message addressed to the four Kenyan FSP members read out during the June 17 event.

On her part, the Delegate Superior, Sr. Mwaiwa, thanked the four Kenyan FSP members for accepting God’s call.

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“The Lord is sending you to be instruments of His love and to proclaim the unfathomable riches of the mystery of Christ, to be bread broken for many in the world,” she said, addressing herself to Sr. Catherine Boyani Ocharo from Kisii Diocese, Sr. Mary Wangui Mutahi from Nyeri Archdiocese, Sr. Merceline Awuor Oduor from Kisumu Archdiocese, and Sr. Victoria Wambui Mweu from Machakos Diocese.

In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the perpetual profession of the four FSP members, Sr. Wangui acknowledged with appreciation the word of God and the message of Archbishop Anyolo, saying she feels “encouraged”.

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“In a very special way, I feel encouraged by the readings we had today, especially the gospel reading, which was the Priestly prayer of Christ. The Archbishop stressed that Jesus prayed for us, and that he did not just pray for us who are making final professions, but for everyone,” Sr. Wangui told ACI Africa June 17.

Making reference to Archbishop Anyolo’s call on the four Sisters to service after the example of Jesus Christ, Sr. Wangui said the Archbishop “told us that we need to feel like Christ by putting into practice what Jesus did when he was here on earth; he felt with the people; he came to serve; and that is the invitation I feel am being called to.”

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In a separate interview with ACI Africa, Sr. Hellen Joseph Ndiang'ui who spearheaded the committee that oversaw the realization of the June 17 event expressed optimism that the four FSP members will prosper in their mission because God’s guidance is with them.

“Today is a big day for them. It has been many years since they joined the Congregation and they have been renewing their vows every year, but today they are dedicating themselves forever to God,” Sr. Ndiang'ui told ACI Africa.

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The FSP member added, “I’m therefore wishing them well in their mission and they should not be afraid because God is with them.”

In another interview with ACI Africa, the dad of Sr. Victoria Wambui Mweu expressed his joy for having witnessed the perpetual profession of his daughter.

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“I delight in this day because I have been waiting for it. I started preparing from the time I gave her to the Church. I knew that a day like this would come,” Nicholas Mweu said.

Mr. Mweu challenged parents to bring up their children in faith and be sources of encouragement to those who want to give their lives to God service. 

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He said, “My fellow parents, I would like to tell you that this is a very important day; let us encourage our children to do the work of God. Just like the marriage vocation, Religious Life is equally important because it gives a chance to continue with God’s mission of service.” 

“I urge parents to start nurturing their children at an early age to embrace vocations and in the event that they are already older, they should not tire in encouraging them concerning vocations especially the vocation of Religious Life,” Mr. Mweu told ACI Africa June 17.