The Mission of the White Fathers in Kenya with Special Emphasis on the Archdiocese of Nairobi 1968 – 2008
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Date
2017
Authors
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Publisher
Tangaza University College/Duquesne University
Abstract
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.
Description
Keywords
Mission, Kenya, White Fathers, Archdiocese of Nairobi