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“Let's pray for vocations”: Catholic Bishop in Kenya at Religious Order’s Jubilee

A poster announcing the 150th anniversary of the Congregation of Brothers of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Kenya. Credit: Lodwar Diocese

By ACI Africa Staff

Lodwar, 07 July, 2023 / 9:21 pm (ACI Africa).

At Holy Mass to mark the 150th anniversary of the Congregation of Brothers of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Bishop John Mbinda of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Lodwar has called for prayers for vocations to Religious Life. 

“Today as we are grateful to God, let's pray for vocations that the Lord who says that the harvest is rich but the laborers are few may find many laborers to work in His vineyard,” Bishop Mbinda said during the Thursday, July 6 Eucharistic celebration that was held at Nadirkonyen Children's Home in his Episcopal See.

The Kenyan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) explained, “We are not going to remain young; we will age and move away. We need others to follow us” as members of the different Religious Orders. 

“None of us is too little to serve the Lord, everyone can do the missionary work and spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in his life and that of others,” he further said.

Bishop Mbinda who has been at the helm of Lodwar Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination in June 2022 emphasized the need for detachment for those aspiring to be at God’s service in Religious Life. 

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“You can attach yourself fully to Christ and work for Him,” he said and, added, “Remember the mission is not ours, it's God’s.”

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop expressed his awareness of “enemies of the mission of God”, who he said “should be left for God Himself to deal with them.”

“As long as we can listen to the voice of God, and respond to His call, then we should expect that the Lord Himself will see us through our mission,” Bishop Mbinda said during the July 6 celebration of the 150 years of the Congregation of Brothers of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

He gave the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a role model in being available for God’s service amid challenges of life, saying, “Mary remains one of the most models of discipleship, even though we might go through tough moments … great difficulties, even pains of sometimes going to the point of death.”

Addressing himself to the Brothers celebrating 150 years of the existence of their Religious Order, Bishop Mbinda implored, “May God strengthen you, brothers; may He give you the wisdom, the courage, and the resources that you need to continue serving Him in his vineyard.”

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“We promise our prayers for you and the people of God will continue to pray for you as together we continue spreading the good news,” the 50-year-old first-ever Kenyan Spiritan Bishop said.

ACI Africa Staff

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.

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