Before May 23rd!

Before May 23rd, 2014, scheduled to be the date of the blessing and official opening of the Chapel of the Don Orione’s Community of Nairobi, last Saturday, March 15, held a small ceremony of gratitude to all the workers and benefactors from here and elsewhere who have sustain this project.

The work is officially completed. We are now in the phase of the beautification, finishing touches and furnishings.

This ceremony of thanksgiving and gratitude is first and foremost an opportunity to give thanks to God for his insurance and the protection he gave to all those who worked on this project. No major incident or loss was recorded, this is due to his benevolence. If things throughout unfolded beautifully and gave this beautiful architectural result, it is also due to his good will.

Participated in this fraternal lunches of thanksgiving, the foreman mason and masterpiece, Mungai Hesbon, the masons who helped him, Nganga and colleagues, the metalworkers and carpenters, the tilers ... The architect was expected, but due to some impediments could not take part in the celebration, as well as the electrician. Appointment is taken for May 23rd, date of the blessing and official opening by the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya, Most Rev. Charles Daniel Balvo, with the confirmed presence of Father Malcolm George Dyer the Superior of our Delegation and Father Giuseppe Vallauri pionier of the Mission in Kenya.

Don Orione for Ever!

As we remember Don Orione today and his entry into the Heavenly Kingdom, I ask your prayers for all of the Spiritual Family of Don Orione (men and women religious, members of the Secular Institute, Members of the Orionine Lay Movement and all people who have any contact with us, not forgetting our family members, as we continue to walk together in the mission entrusted to us by the Holy Spirit, even though we are very conscious of being sinners, but also trustful of his mercy.

God bless you all!
Fr Malcolm

Beginning of the "Orientation Courses"

On this day, Monday, March 10th, the Institute of Philosophy of the Consolata Fathers initiates a series of courses for a period of four months called orientation courses. These courses involve young aspirants of various Congregations and Religious Institutes eager to begin the next academic year their studies of philosophical formation. Our congregation for the account of Kenya prensented this year seven candidates for this course. These are:

+ Martin Njung’e Kamau

+ Francis Keya Maina

+ Charles Simali

+ Geoffrey Njuguna

+ Austine Namusende Muteshi

+ Cornelius Kirwa

+ Samuel Muthoka Mutua

Moving towards May!

We approach little by little to May and the new chapel of Nairobi Community takes its final screed. Officially, the blessing is scheduled for the third week of May. It will give an opportunity to celebrate here in Kenya the Orionine Missionary Year.

While constructors and workers are fighting to give the final form, others come here and there with great ideas and give out more of his beauty to this architectural marvel. A roundabout Don Orione just in front of the building, adorned with flowers, and the surprise of the moment, the beautiful tabernacle in the shape of the chapel as if it were custom designed.

The students with their infatuation and physical strength are always giving time and hard manual work to make the space more beautiful. For whom was visiting there is less than a week, it will be quite difficult to recognize the space and especially greater will be his or her amazement to see how fast things change and beautify.

“He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (cf. 2 Cor 8:9)

LENTEN MESSAGE OF OUR HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

“He became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (cf. 2 Cor 8:9)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As Lent draws near, I would like to offer some helpful thoughts on our path of conversion as individuals and as a community. These insights are inspired by the words of Saint Paul: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9). The Apostle was writing to the Christians of Corinth to encourage them to be generous in helping the faithful in Jerusalem who were in need. What do these words of Saint Paul mean for us Christians today? What does this invitation to poverty, a life of evangelical poverty, mean for us today?

A busy week for Don Freitas in Kenya

Arrived in Nairobi last Saturday, February 15, his original program was a visit to the House of Formation and stay with this Community to share with our youth and their formatters Fathers Paul Mboche and Stan, assisted by Father Joachim Aboa and Deacon Morris Mawira their daily reality. But as we like to say here, man proposes and God disposes. Already on Sunday, he will be driven to visit the Community of Kandisi and concelebrate with Father Stan and Father Jacques, Vicar General of Grand Bassam also visiting Kenya, the Holy Mass. On Monday, after the community meeting in which he took part, he will be prompted to visit Kaburugi, nearly 70 kms from Nairobi to live 24 hours of his short stay with the brothers of the parish, Father Raphael Kailemiah and Father James Njoroje Waituika.

Don Freitas at the SDP Kenya Communities monthly meeting

Yesterday 17th February 2014, we held our regular monthly meeting, bringing together the Communities of Kaburugi, Kandisi and Nairobi. The exception of this meeting yesterday was the presence of Don Freitas currently visiting Kenya. He was so invited to address to the different Communities. First of all through words of encouragement, Don Freitas, our host, did not fail to commend the initiative of a monthly meeting of all our communities. He also hoped that this meeting in the future may become the space and the perfect opportunity to study the sheets of ongoing formation and renewal in the Charism. Continuing his remarks, he summed up in two points the reason for his visit:

+ Accompany each and every community in the celebration of this missionary year.

+ Due to his responsibility, counsellor in charge of formation, touch of a finger the reality of the formation which is lived here in Kenya and encouraged to faithfulness to the requirements of this formation.