Fr. Jared Otieno Awuor ordained priest at Ramba
On Friday 15 May 2026 the Delegation “Our Lady of the Rosary” — Kenya welcomed a new priest with the ordination of Fr. Jared Otieno Awuor. The celebration took place in the parish of St. Anthony the Abbot at Ramba, in the Archdiocese of Kisumu, from which the newly ordained comes. The auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Kisumu, the Most Rev. Vincent Ouma Odundo, was the main celebrant and the ordaining prelate.
Samuel, and the people who play Eli
In his homily Bishop Vincent reflected on the call and vocation of Samuel and on the significant role played by Eli in it. He invited Deacon Jared to pay attention to the call he had received, just as Samuel was called, and compared Eli to the formators, the superiors and all those who helped Jared to answer this call to priesthood.
Commenting on the second reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, he reminded Jared that God calls people to offer sacrifices for their own redemption and that of others. He also observed that ordination is not the final moment of priesthood: it is necessary to keep finding people who will go on playing the role of Eli, guiding him in the priesthood and in religious life. He was invited always to remember that he is another Christ, and that every day he should live his priesthood with dignity and commitment. God’s call is continuous; it does not stop at ordination.
Commenting on the Gospel, in which Peter asks what those who have left everything will receive, the bishop said that Jesus invites us first of all to a spirit of detachment. There are things to be avoided in religious life and in the priesthood. He invited the new priest to avoid whatever can make his road heavy and tedious — material goods, friendships, attitudes or habits acquired along the way that are not compatible with the priesthood. He also invited the faithful not to become, or to add, further burdens on their priests.
The three P’s
Finally the bishop offered some words of encouragement to Fr. Jared, gathered under the sign of the three P’s.
Prayer. Prayer must be everything for you. Intensify your life of prayer.
Presence. Availability for the mission matters greatly. Do not limit yourself to managing the parish programme; be present. Give yourself to the Lord and to the people.
Perseverance. After ordination is the moment when you enter the desert, not the comfort zone. Do not enter the priesthood with expectations, or you will be frustrated.
A first in many respects
In his address the Delegate Superior, Fr. Anthony Njenga, expressed his gratitude to His Excellency Bishop Vincent for ordaining Fr. Jared, and for the role he played when the Congregation arrived in the Archdiocese of Kisumu in 2021, at a time when he was the judicial vicar of the archdiocese.
Fr. Njenga pointed out how Fr. Jared is a first in many respects: the first to be ordained in his home parish; the first priest to come from this parish of Ramba; the first priest to be ordained by auxiliary bishop Vincent, who became a bishop only a few months earlier. Jared is also the first priest of the Congregation from the Archdiocese of Kisumu.
Fr. Njenga encouraged Fr. Jared to be a priest after the heart of Christ, to love the Eucharist, the Church and the poor; to walk faithfully in the spirit of Don Orione; to keep always a great thirst for souls; to be close to the suffering, the forgotten, the young and the old, in order to restore all things in Christ. The Delegate Superior urged him to be an instrument of God’s compassion for the many people he will serve, and finally conveyed the greeting of Fr. Tarcisio, the Superior General.
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