Daughters of St Paul celebrate 50 years of presence in Kenya
Sr Agatha Chipulu Zimba, fsp – Nairobi
Attending the golden jubilee celebrations were members of the clergy, religious, Catholic faithful, Pauline co-operators and collaborators.
At the request of Archbishop Maurice Cardinal Otunga, the Daughters of St Paul (Pauline Sisters) opened their foundation in Kenya on 15 February 1976. Sisters Damiana Gueresi, Daniela Barone, and Beatrice Salvioni arrived in Nairobi to start running the diocesan book centre, previously managed by the Holy Ghost Fathers.
To read, love and to live the Gospel
In his homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Auxiliary Bishop-Elect of Kisumu Archdiocese, Fr Vincent Ouma Odundo, urged the faithful to embrace God’s Word as a living commandment that guides and saves. He said God gives laws and commandments not as burdens, but as a path to Salvation. The Auxiliary Bishop-Elect commended the Daughters of St Paul for 50 years of evangelization since arriving in Kenya in 1976. He described their presence as God’s grace at work. He praised the Congregation’s impact through its publications, noting that its apostolate has enabled many to access, read, love, and live the Word of God.
Presenting Christ through the media
Addressing the congregation during the same Eucharistic Celebration, the Archbishop of Nairobi, Philip Anyolo, reminded the Daughters of St Paul that the God with whom they had renewed their Pact is the same faithful God who has walked with them over the past five decades and will continue to guide their mission. Drawing inspiration from St Paul’s personal encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, the Nairobi Archbishop encouraged the Sisters to continue with renewed zeal, proclaiming who Christ is through their lived experience. Christ, Archbishop Anyolo said, identified himself with his people in the question to the Apostle Paul: “Why are you persecuting me?”
Archbishop Anyolo further urged the Pauline Sisters to remain deeply united with the people they serve, making Christ present through their apostolate of the media.
Tribute to Servant of God, Maurice Otunga
Speaking at the same celebration, the Provincial Superior of Eastern Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe (EAMZZ), Sr Janet Angala, FSP, expressed profound gratitude to God for sustaining the Daughters of St Paul through the 50 years of mission in Kenya, she reflected on the journey marked by challenges and joys, and also paid tribute to the congregation’s founder, the pioneering sisters who established the Kenya mission in 1976 and also those who continue to support it today. She extended special appreciation to the Archbishop of Nairobi and the clergy, and remembered the Servant of God, Maurice Cardinal Otunga, as a key figure in their journey, whose encouragement was instrumental in the congregation’s foundation in Kenya.
The Golden Jubilee celebrations will continue throughout the year, featuring various spiritual and pastoral activities to highlight the congregation’s charism and mission, and to showcase its role within the Church in Kenya.
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