Contentment in the priesthood: a week of ongoing formation in Mombasa
The Sons of Divine Providence have been in Kenya since 1996, and in recent years the local vocations have multiplied — and with them the Orionine charism has spread across this African land. At the time of this meeting the Congregation counted eight Kenyan Orionine priests, five missionary priests, one deacon, two confreres in perpetual vows and a good number of confreres in temporary vows, postulants and aspirants.
From 20 to 26 January the six Orionine priests ordained less than five years earlier met in Mombasa, on the coast, for a week of ongoing formation. It was led by Fr. Joseph Kuira, the first Kenyan Conventual Franciscan priest, who works in a parish of that region.
Contentment is divine, and it comes from within
The theme of the week was contentment in the priesthood and in religious life. Fr. Joseph invited the young priests to remember that contentment is divine and comes from within us — so there is no need to go looking for it outside our own being and our own vocation.
He insisted that in order to be content with our vocation, especially in times of challenge and crisis, one should go back to Galilee, where everything began. The Risen Christ asked his disciples to return to Galilee, to the place where the first moment of their call had happened, so that they might live it again before the Lord ascended into heaven.
“Every so often we should remember our Galilees — the first episodes, the first attractions, where and when our vocation began — in order to find our vocational zeal again.”
Fr. Joseph KuiraThe speaker observed that in our vocations the signs of contentment, or of discontent, remain visible in our daily life and daily commitment. He closed the week by insisting that Jesus is our fulfilment, and that devotion to Our Lady is of great importance for a priest who wants to be content with, and within, his vocation.
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