The Vincentian Mission In Kenya

Contributed by Rev. Gary Mueller, CM

Novices

A group photo of the DePaul Centre before Fr. Barry Moriarty left with the novices for the U.S. in May 2003.

History of the Program

In late 1979, the bishop of the Marsabit diocese, Bishop Charles Cavallera, sent an old Italian missionary priest to Rome to inquire of the religious congregations and see if anyone might be interested in helping in a small, rural diocese in Kenya to form and educate young pastoralists for the priesthood. He decided to knock on the door of the Curia for the Congregation of the Mission after hearing of our commitment to diocesan seminaries. Fr. Jim Richardson answered the doorbell, greeted him warmly and very soon the conversation grew into a commitment. Three members of the Midwest Province of the Congregation of the Mission arrived in 1981—one of their number was Fr. Richardson himself. Earlier in the year, Bishop Ambrose Ravasi assumed his responsibilities as the new ordinary of the diocese.

When Frs. Richardson and O'Brien arrived with Brother Paul Joseph on the arid savannas of Maralal, they found a diocese in desperate need of priests and local leaders to encourage a young but burgeoning community of Christians among the Samburu, the Turbana, the Borana, the Gabra, and the Rendille. Shortly after they arrived, they oversaw the completion of the newly formed Good Shepherd Seminary. Soon after that, they were training young men and moving out into the rural areas to give missions at the outstations.

There were many Vincentians who came to Maralal to volunteer, teach, and accompany these young pastoralists during the time of their formation. Many of the young men who attended Good Shepherd have formed warm and lasting relationships with the members of the Midwest Province. For their part, the confreres of the Midwest retained wonderful and vivid memories of Kenya. Their willingness to volunteer eased the pressures of the resident faculty and allowed confreres stationed there to move in new directions.

Difficult times accompanied those early years. The number of men from the Midwest who were able to make a long-term commitment to Kenya dwindled. In May 1987, the beloved Fr. Ted Wiesner, CM, who was slated to be the next rector of Good Shepherd, died suddenly of Hepatitis. Although Fr. Bob Wood, CM, arrived a year earlier and Fr. Frank Gaydos, CM, arrived in 1990, Bishop Ambrose Ravasi, IMC, decided to close Good Shepherd Seminary in 1991 and move his seminarians to Christ the King Major Seminary in the central highlands of Kenya near a town called Nyeri—but not before twelve men were ordained to the priesthood for the diocese of Marsabit.

In many respects, this difficult period lay the ground work for our present commitment in Kenya, which now includes the formation of young Kenyans for priesthood in the Congregation of the Mission. The confreres in Nyeri began to appreciate the needs of the larger Church when they stepped into the seminary classroom at this new place. They educated hundreds of seminarians from fifteen dioceses all over Kenya. When Fr. Tom O'Hern, CM, arrived in 1993, we began to seriously explore the possibility of initiating our own formation program and Bishop Ravasi was very supportive. He reminded us constantly of the need for good priests and good, qualified formators in Kenyan seminaries to ensure the prudent growth of a rapidly expanding Church.

After finishing his assignment as pastor of St. Vincent's Church in Chicago in 1996, Fr. Barry Moriarty, CM, arrived. When Frs. Moriarty and O'Hern moved to Nairobi, they began to make serious efforts to realize our plans for a Vincentian formation program. One year later, Fr. John Richardson, CM, arrived in Nyeri where he joined Frs. Wood and Gaydos after many years of dedicated work at the helm of DePaul University in Chicago. By this time, we were receiving numerous inquiries from young men throughout Eastern Africa. Often, they mentioned that they were attracted to us by hearing of our work in the seminaries and our predilection for the poor.

When we opened our first temporary formation house in Karen in 1999, Frs. Moriarty and O'Hern were simultaneously overseeing the construction of DePaul Centre just down the road in a place called Lang'ata about twenty minutes from the Nairobi city centre. The construction seemed to happen very quickly. After his first term as parochial vicar at Holy Ghost Church in Denver, Fr. Gary Mueller, CM, arrived next and after a year in Nyeri, moved to Nairobi to join the formation team.

Auxiliary Bishop David Kamau dedicated the house on January 25, 2000, the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul and the first month of the Jubilee year. Fr. Robert Maloney, CM, the Superior General of the congregation was in attendance. He urged us to follow, "Christ the Missionary of the Father [telling us that] His mission was worldwide."

We come with many hopes for our future here in Kenya. As we look out our window, there is a new novitiate building gradually taking shape and the Daughters of Charity have begun construction on a house of their own just a short distance away. We have been graced by the arrival of Fr. Art Trapp, CM, who is loved and respected by all for his gentleness and deep spirituality. Bro. Jim Donlevy, CM, arrived at the same time and has already begun a program for young men from poor families, teaching them carpentry. Bro. Tim Opferman, CM, has given up his job as a teacher not once but twice to join the formation team in Nairobi.

nbsp; Perhaps most importantly, our young men have embraced our commitment to diocesan seminary formation and see it as the pivotal contribution to the Kenyan Church. Our young novices tell the story of visiting Fr. Frank Gaydos just before his death in May, 2002. After many years in seminary formation, he urged them to love and continue the work of seminary formation in Kenya. All of us envision a time when there will be Vincentians working in all the major seminaries in Kenya. In addition, our future Kenyan Vincentians can make significant contributions by working in parishes among the very poor, organizing popular missions, coordinating the ongoing formation of African clergy and working collaboratively with the Daughters of Charity and the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Amazing what happens when you knock on the right door.

2003 Final Vows Celebrations: Meet The Men

Lennoxie Lusabe, son of Joana Nasambu and the late Timonah Lusabe, has nine brothers and fourteen sisters. He met the Vincentians while a student at Christ the King Major Seminary. Just completing his novitiate, he is currently continuing his studies in Chicago, Illinois. He shares that although he has been able to do a great deal of work with the Vincentians, he especially loves working with youth in the Vincentian Marian Youth (JMV.) About the Vincentians he also states, "I am very attracted by their love and service of the poor." He concludes, "And their emphasis upon forming others to do this work as well. There are many things I want to do in the futureÉI want to go for further studies to teach and work as a formator in diocesan seminaries."

Lennoxie professed vows on Friday, the feast of the Assumption, August 15, 2003. Fr. Bob Wood was the celebrant and Fr. Tom O'Hern was the homilist.

Angelus Njagi is the fifth child of six siblings; his parents are Peter Njeru and Mary Wanjeri. He was studying for the diocese Embu in Eastern Kenya when he applied to the Congregation of the Mission. He met Fr. Tom O'Hern and Fr. Frank Gaydos at an Al Anon meeting in Nyeri. He was especially impressed with the hard work of the confreres at the seminary. Even in their old age, they were still bearing fruit. He especially enjoyed Fr. Gaydos as a teacher and confessor at Christ the King Major Seminary. Everyday, Angelus is growing in understanding of his vocation and feels the Spirit of the Lord urging him forward. When he received permission to take vows, he was very happy.

George Shitsukane Busieka first learned of the Congregation of the Mission while visiting Christ the King Major Seminary. He had been out of the seminary for three and a half years when Fr. Tom O'Hern invited him to apply. His parents are Samuel Musindi and Josephine Busolo and he has six brothers and three sisters. He names a significant time as the retreat that Fr. Art Trapp gave when he was a novice. Fr. Art shared with George and the others his experience of the concrete living of the vows. When George finally professed vows himself, it was a deeply happy time for him and he looks forward to sharing a particular manner of life and work with this community. He believes that we are building a future in Kenya, which will greatly benefit the poor. He looks forward to ordination so that he can begin work as a Vincentian priest.

Philip Njenga comes from a family of five brothers and six sisters. His parents are Fideli Wanjiko and Moses Njenga. He learned about the Congregation of the Mission in a discussion with Fr. Raphael Njihia who taught at Christ the King Major Seminary with the Vincentians. Philip had already entered the seminary to become a diocesan priest but he contacted Fr. Tom O'Hern and was encouraged to apply to us after he finished his philosophy studies. He has grown in love for our community and its works. After the novitiate in St. Louis, he took his good purposes. The whole period confirmed his desire to join us and develop our presence in Kenya. He sincerely hopes to work with poor and marginalized Kenyans in developing areas.

Angelus, George and Philip professed vows on the feast of St. Vincent DePaul on Saturday, September 27, 2003. Fr. Gary Mueller was the celebrant and Fr. Art Trapp was the homilist. There were about 400 people in attendance— family members from all over Kenya, the Daughters of Charity, members of the St. Vincent DePaul Society, members of the Vincentian Marian Youth, the Brothers of Our Lady Mother of Mercy, the Brothers of Charity and many of their friends from around Nairobi. Fr. Art preached beautifully about Vincentian vocation as a road that many have traveled before—filled with chance encounters that will change these men's lives. After the conclusion of the mass, friends, family and well wishers danced, gave gifts, sang songs, performed short dramas and showered them with prayers and support. The day concluded with a simple meal eaten outside under the eucalyptus trees.

The Formation Team

The following Vincentians run the program in Kenya:

Fr. Barry Moriarty is the superior of the house but is now in St. Louis, Missouri, acting as the director of novices. He assists with the initiates program and teaches formation and spirituality at Tangaza College.

Fr. Tom O'Hern is in charge of the finances and the physical plant, as well as formation for the vowed members of the house. He has been working on the construction of the new novitiate building and is helping with the construction of the new regional house for the Daughters of Charity. Fr. Tom is the vocation director and in his spare time, he teaches formation and spirituality at Tangaza College and facilitates renewal programs for diocesan clergy.

Bro. Tim Opferman is in charge of the initiates program. After screening all the young men who apply to join the congregation, only five to ten applicants are accepted. Their first period of formation is our initiates program where they learn about the history and charism of the congregation and begin a number of short courses to prepare them to begin their studies in philosophy. Bro. Tim is a full-time school teacher who comes to Kenya as the need arises.

Fr. Gary Mueller is the assistant superior and teaches biblical studies at both Tangaza College and at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary. He is also the director of the Associates Program for students while they study philosophy and theology but before they profess vows. During this time, they engage in apostolic work among the poor and once weekly, gather to listen and learn about Vincentian spirituality, and issues concerning personal development and life in community. Fr. Gary is also the spiritual director for the National Council of the St. Vincent DePaul Society and facilitates renewal programs for diocesan clergy.

Bro. Jim Donlevy has begun a project for young men to teach them carpentry, much like the Angel Works project he created in St. Louis. A talented carpenter, Bro. Jim is working to create a program that teaches marketable skills to very poor young men who would otherwise have no access to an education of this kind. In addition, Bro. Jim is building furniture for the new novitiate and the new regional house the Daughters of Charity are constructing nearby. He will be in the U.S. until February visiting family and raising monies and materials for the program.

Vow Mass

Left: Lennoxie Lusabe professing vows during mass on August 15, 2003.

Above: George Shitsukane Busieka, Angelus Njagi and Philip Njenga at the final blessing during their vow mass on September 27, 2003.

Vincentian is published bimonthly by the Midwest and Southern Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers, to promote the apostolic works of its members and those of the larger Vincentian Family.

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