The Jubilee year of the existence of the Comboni missionaries in Kenya is ending this October, a journey that was started last September in Kacheliba. We are grateful for the many graces that God has bestowed on the Kenya province beginning with the many confreres who have given their lives for this province; ones who are alive, moved elsewhere, and all these missionaries have laid a solid foundation that has shaped the Kenyan Church. Their contribution did not go with them. Instead, it bore many fruits that we are witnessing this year. Honoring the Past: Reconnecting with Communities and Cherishing Memories. This year, we the province have encompassed the people of God from the parishes where we worked in the past by having thanksgiving masses with them.
It’s a moment of joy and thanksgiving; many people have fond memories of the many Comboni missionaries that have worked in
those areas. We thank our mission animator Fr. John Korir for involving our senior confreres in visiting the parishes that we
served in the past. This encounter resuscitated immense joy and positive memories of past experiences which were visible on the
faces of the people. The people of God remember dearly those past confreres and the contribution they made in evangelization. Celebrating Vocations: The Growth and Expansion of the Comboni Family in Kenya Since the presence of the Comboni missionaries in Kenya, we have over 30 Kenyans who have joined the institute and many more who have passed through our system and God called them to serve elsewhere. They continue propagating the Comboni charism as witnessed by the presence of the Comboni friends who are happily associated with us. Out of these 30, the majority are missionaries in other countries which creates a sense of pride and fulfillment that the seed planted by the pioneers of this province wasn’t in vain. This word of God has become like the mustard seed that has grown and is generating life to serve the whole institute. We see this growth by the visible witness of vocations in our province; having young people in formation at all stages.
We sincerely thank God for their generosity and willingness to serve as missionaries. The vocations are spread beyond the areas where we have worked in the past, indicating that the church in Kenya is aware of the existence of the Comboni missionaries and their contribution in different fields. Embracing New Trends: The Emergence of Lay Comboni Missionaries and Seculars Among the new mission trends is the emergence of the Kenyan lay Comboni missionaries and the Comboni seculars. These two groups form part of our identity. It’s encouraging to see the Comboni charism getting incarnated in the lives of ordinary people. This variety of belonging to the Comboni family is a blessing to the province and we pray that more people will find ways of sharing in our charism from where they are.
As we mark this special anniversary, we acknowledge our areas of work among the pastoralists, in urban ministry, media, formation, and in social transformation in Tangaza. They are all different ministries through which we respond to our charism.
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By Fr. Andrew Wanjohi Mccj
