Browsing by Author "Lyubah, Humphrey Andibah"

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    The Mission of the White Fathers in Kenya with Special Emphasis on the Archdiocese of Nairobi 1968 – 2008
    (Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2017) Lyubah, Humphrey Andibah
    Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi, stresses the truth that dominated the Synod of Bishops of 1973 that Jesus “was the very first and greatest evangelizer” (EN, 7). First of all, that Christ proclaimed the Kingdom of God (Lk 4:43), the Good News of God (Mk 1:1, Rom 1:1-3), and salvation and liberation of God (Lk 4:18). Consequently, all those who gathered around him, who believed in him and followed him were called to participate in his evangelizing mission, “to seek together the Kingdom of God, build it up and live it” (EN, 13). Thus, “the Church is born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the twelve” (EN, 15); “the beginning of the journey of the pilgrim Church” (RM, 26) starts right here. The Church understands evangelization as “bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new” (EN, 18). Therefore, in striving to obey the command of her founder (Mt 28:19 ff), the Church considers herself to be divinely sent and hence “missionary by her very nature” (AG, 2). The mission of the Church is, therefore, fulfilled by this very activity; that is, spreading the faith and salvation of Jesus Christ. This duty, inherited from the apostles, is to be fulfilled by all the ‘people of God’ 1 1 everywhere who are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfil in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each” (CCL, 204). The people of God are invited to bring God’s hope and salvation to the world; and to be a sign of the love of God who calls all to relationship with him. Mission, therefore, can be said to be all those undertakings that are aimed at “carrying out the task of preaching the Gospel and planting the Church among people or groups who do not yet believe in Christ” (AG 6). In their missionary activities, all missionary congregations in the Catholic Church are bound by this mandate of Christ. In Africa, south of the Sahara, the first missions took place under the Portuguese Royal Patronage system, ‘Padroado’ 2 . This is because Africa fell under their territory and they had control over Church affairs in all their territories. In Kenya, the earliest efforts of evangelization by the Portuguese missionaries began in the 15 th century. They built the first chapel in East Africa in Mombasa. Unfortunately, when the padroado system failed the missionary activities failed as well. The 19 th century, however, saw the coming of different Catholic Missionary congregations in Kenya. The first groups to arrive were the Holy Ghost Fathers, also called Spiritans (1889), the Consolata Missionaries (1902) and the Mill Hill Fathers (1903) respectively. Later, other missionary groups also arrived. Among them were the Missionaries of Africa in early 1960’s. They are “also known as “White Fathers” because at the time when all priests wore a black cassock, the Missionaries of Africa wore a kind of white dress called gandourah in North Africa where they were founded.” 3 In fact, the two names will be used interchangeably in this essay to refer to the same group of missionaries. The Spiritans were also called “Black Fathers” because of their robes. 4 This thesis is aimed at studying the mission of the White Fathers in Kenya, 40 years since their arrival (1968 – 2008). The area of study is the Archdiocese of Nairobi. It is chosen because this is the only place where the White Fathers have been working since their arrival to date. The areas of interest targeted are pastoral, education/teaching and social work. The study is organized in four chapters. Chapter one will set a general introduction and a historical background for the details that follow. Chapter two will consider the congregation of the White Fathers. Chapter three will concentrate on the activities and approaches of the White Fathers. Chapter four will offer the analysis of the data, recommendations and a general conclusion. Finally, there will be appendices with some important dates in the mission of the White Fathers in Kenya, maps, pictures and other illustrations.