Three new priests for the new Delegation
It was a great blessing on 13 June 2024, when thousands of faithful came to celebrate with the new Delegation “Our Lady of the Holy Rosary” as it welcomed three new priests. Frs. Austin Namusende, Martin Kamau and Samuel Muthoka were ordained in the presence of the Superior General, Fr. Tarcisio Vieira, who was in Kenya for a week-long visit.
A vocation, not a career
In his homily the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Mgr. Wallace Nganga, encouraged the ordinands: they had not lost their way in choosing the path of priesthood. He urged them to be zealous in their life of prayer, above all personal prayer. A true sign of a praying priest, he said, is when he makes time for prayer in the middle of a crowded diary.
Turning to the families and friends, he warned them against the idea of burdening priests with many financial obligations, since the priesthood is a vocation and not a career that involves great expenditure.
NIPO and NATAKA
Towards the end of the celebration the Superior General, Fr. Tarcisio, took up two Swahili words he had learned during the dialogue between the bishop and the candidates: NIPO, meaning I am present, and NATAKA, meaning I want. He urged the new priests never to forget that they were chosen from the people and sent to the people, and encouraged them that their hearts would be full of joy only if they accept to stand in the midst of the people of God.
Finally the Delegate Superior of the new Delegation, Fr. Anthony Njenga Mburu, took the words of Don Orione as his message to the new priests: let each of us say, I want to be a religious and a priest according to the heart of God, moulded in the heart of Christ. He asked them to take care of their priesthood, which is a road that does not end even after ordination and must be renewed every day.
The three priests come from three regions of Kenya: western, central and eastern. It was a great blessing and a moment of excitement as Kenya prepared to become officially a Delegation on 29 June 2024. God bless Orionine Kenya.
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