Bischop Martin Kavuva
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New Emerging Issues
In his speech, the Bishop said, “There are always new issues confronting us which we can’t ignore”. In view of this, the leaders received a powerful presentation concerning Counter Trafficking in Persons. Pope Benedict XIV has called it “a scourge”. Machakos Diocese has set its focus on a campaign against Counter Trafficking in Persons. Workshops in the eleven Deaneries will form the major part of this work. Francis Kikolya, head of the diocesan Caritas, has embraced this mission together with the co-ordinator of Catholic women and Catholic men’s Co-ordinator, Sr Bernardette Munyao, an Assumption Sister of Nairobi.
A Training of Trainers Course held in Nairobi in August 2010 trained and equipped seven teams that would cover the whole of Kenya. They will train others to bring the issue to Small Christian Communities. This is a pilot project. It provides information, training, pastoral support and a deepening of faith. |
Faith is a key issue
Fr Januarius Kioko, the new Pastoral Coordinator, pointed out also that all we do we do in faith. “Our focal point is our faith and trust in God and in the Kingdom values of love, peace, and justice for all”.
Fr Januarius emphasised that coming together is not about collecting money but it is to deepen our service to our communities and beyond because we are committed in Christ’s service. Life and faith are one. There is an emerging understanding of what this means. To integrate the two is challenging. A lifelong work needs prayer and reflection to know what choices to make for the greater glory of God.
Empowering the Laity
The lay leaders come from a broad section of Kenyan society: lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, farmers, homemakers and local business people who give a powerful witness together with their Laity Council. Their mandate at this meeting was to develop their 2011-15 Pastoral Plan, which will be complemented by priests, religious men and women together with pious associations and groups. This will give Christian communities clear policies and directives in all areas of the work of the Diocese. The final stage of this work follows a long journey that brought people together. They discussed, planned, prepared a draft for the bishop to comment on and finally approve. It was a daunting challenge.
Results
When people come together sharing honestly, training in leadership does much to help them grow in the awareness of what their Christian presence means in their Diocese and beyond. All, priests, religious sisters, brothers and laity, feel challenged, unified and inspired by the Diocesan motto “That all may be one”. This unity has blessed Machakos Diocese with success. People are challenged to grow together appreciating each gift God gave them and to take on a new focus on the person of Jesus in the reality of today’s world.
“We are growing and moving together to see Christ alive in our Diocese of Machakos. We are all part of that movement and that Spirit”, Bishop Martin Kivuva Musonde reminded the 150 leaders representing all the parishes of the vast diocese at the beginning of a four-day planning meeting at St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, Machakos Town from 25th-28th November 2010. He further commented, “I am very proud of you and what you stand for in the Church. What do we do? We focus on leadership and service. We mobilise people on spiritual, social and political issues. At present, we have many issues “cooking”. You now face a new mandate. We know we can move together with the Diocesan motto “That all may be one”. We also embrace the AMECEA (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa)’s motto of “creating a spirit which is “self supporting, self propagating, and self ministering”.
The Diocese of Machakos
Machakos Diocese was founded in 1969 with its first Bishop Ndingi Mwana' Nzeki, followed four years later by Bishop Kioko and in 2003 Bishop Martin Kivuva. Each Bishop has furthered the growth of self-reliance an important concept in today’s world. The 2010 Diocesan Collection last years surpassed collections. The collection caters for over eighty senior seminarians as well as insurance and medical expenses for all the priests. Social needs are also included in the beneficiaries. This year’s major building project is the expansion and renewal of the St Joseph’s the Pastoral Centre.
Sixty parishes are scattered in the region, with more waiting to be born. The present Catholic population numbers more than 900,000. Built on a mixture of the Christian values brought by the Holy Ghost Missionaries and traditional Akamba values, there is a slowly emerging pattern of a real inculturation. Over one hundred and fifty local priests serve the diocese together with sisters and brothers.
Sr Maggi Kennedy MSOLA |
