Vincentian Parishes Take Root in Kenya

Parishioners of Holy Cross Parish gather for Sunday services.

On a typical Sunday, the parishioners of Holy Cross Church wash their faces, put on their best clothes and walk to Mass. The service features all the traditions and rituals of Catholic services around the globe: a homily, hymns, scripture readings, prayer and Communion.

But Holy Cross Parish, in the small village of Thigio, Kenya, is unlike most parishes of the Congregation of the Mission Midwest Province. The rural parish serves a vast area with a main church and five outstations. Parishioners, many of whom are subsistence farmers, must walk to services on unpaved and poorly maintained roads, which become impassable when it rains.

And yet they come: There are about 2,000 active parishioners who make the trek to one of the parish’s seven Sunday Masses, or services on Tuesday through Saturday mornings. There is a weekly novena in honor of the Lady of the Miraculous Medal and the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday. There are community activities, too, such as a St. Vincent de Paul Society, a women’s club, a men’s group, and youth activities.

Located in central Kenya less than an hour from the capital in Nairobi, the parish is situated on rolling hills at the edge of the Great Rift Valley, a place world-renown for its natural beauty and wildlife. Father Lennoxie Lusabe, CM, is pastor, assisted by Fathers Ignatius Mukanzi and George Busieka, CM. Fr. Lusabe attended the seminary at DePaul Centre in Nairobi and was ordained in 2005.

“The people here are very poor,” says Fr. Lusabe. “Almost all live on small plots of land in houses made of wood, mud and tin, with small gardens attached where they grow their food. The soil in most places is actually quite good, but the place is semi-arid. In recent years, the rains have not come, and so the people have harvested very little from their land. In very hard times, they rely on relief food from aid agencies,” explains Fr. Lusabe.
Poverty is compounded by the fact there is no other development besides clusters of small shops, making jobs scarce. Although there are no hard figures, many believe the unemployment rate for this area is about 90%, says Fr. Lusabe.

In addition, the parishioners of Holy Cross have been greatly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Almost every family has lost members to the virus, leaving many unable to care for the most basic needs of their children – shelter, food, and clothing. “Our
students regularly visit the poor in Thigio and report that many are living in the most miserable conditions,” says Fr. Lusabe. “There are many single women, widowed or abandoned, who are HIV positive trying to raise children alone.”

The Archdiocese of Nairobi gave the parish to the Vincentians about a year ago. Since then, says Fr. Lusabe, the priests have embarked on a mission to regularly visit the people of the parish in their homes. As a result, he has seen an increase in the number of active parishioners. By his estimate, there are as many as 15,000 Catholics within the parish boundaries, and the needs are great.

“I try to educate people about Vincentian charism. On Good Friday, people brought in money, food, and shoes to help the poor. I intend for the Vincentian mission of caring for the poor to become an ongoing mission of the parish, rather than a one-time event,” says Fr. Lusabe. He also says the Daughters of Charity have been a great asset in the ministry to the poor.

Closer to Nairobi lies another parish of the Midwest Province, St. Vincent de Paul in Kamulu. Established in 2004, the parish began as a small outstation serving 250; it has now grown to serve 500 to 600 parishioners.

According to Associate Pastor Father Alex Isonga, CM, the community is composed of two groups: the working class that commutes to work in Nairobi and those that make their living by farming.

Fr. Isonga, who assists Pastor Father Philip Njenga, CM, says a primary mission of the parish is to educate and empower the community. Last fall, he began working with a small group of women to teach them skills and help them start small businesses. “We
were able to start this project using donations from St. Catherine Labouré Parish in St. Louis. They sent money to buy cows, we started to sell milk, and the money came from this. The beneficiaries of this project are generally poor women, some of whom are HIV positive,” says Fr. Isonga.

With assistance from the Daughters of Charity, the women learned to tie dye fabric and make decorated cakes. Their next challenge is to learn skills to market their products and run a small scale business so they can support their families.

The parish also runs a mobile medical clinic, visits the sick and elderly, and helps the poor through its St. Vincent de Paul Society. In addition, the parish reaches out through a network of Small Christian Community (SCC) groups, home-based gatherings of eight to 15 families who meet together to pray and share the word of God. SCC group leaders coordinate help for the poor, and serve as a liaisons between the parish priests and the larger community.

“A difference between our parish and those in the Midwest U.S. is that here, more people are poor and look for assistance from the parish. It is often the other way around in the U.S.,” says Fr. Isonga.

But Fr. Lusabe adds, “The one similarity between parishes here and in the U.S. is that the parishioners are yearning to strengthen their relationship with God.” With help from the Vincentians of the Midwest Province, they are.

The youth of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Kamulu, Kenya, enjoy a day of games.