By Rose Achiego, Waumini Communications, KCCB
Most Rev. Philip Anyolo has been installed as the second Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kisumu. This follows his appointment by the Holy Father Pope Francis on 15th November, 2018.
Archbishop Anyolo takes over from Archbishop Emeritus Zacchaeus Okoth who has attained the mandatory retirement age for bishops.
Addressing the congregation during the installation ceremony at Uzima University College grounds in Kisumu, on 12th January 2019, Archbishop Anyolo expressed gratitude to the Pope for his appointment, to his brother bishops for support and to all who graced the occasion.
He appreciated the service of Archbishop Emeritus Zacchaeus Okoth whom he said has given his all to the people of the Archdiocese of Kisumu for almost five decades, pointing out that he has served with dedication, leaving behind a rich legacy which he promises to continue.
“I come in humility as a child of God, a child of the universe and son of the Church that calls us to be rooted in Christ with Mother Church.” Echoing the words of St. Paul… “Be rooted in Christ and build upon Him and establish yourselves in faith…” from the Letter to the Colossians chapter 2 verse 7, he went on to add that this is at the core of priestly and baptismal vocation.
Archbishop Anyolo invited the Clergy and the Religious brothers and sisters to allow Christ to be the foundation of their vocation and to always walk with him. “There is no better way of achieving uninterrupted union with Christ than the Eucharist. May every celebration of the Eucharist be the greatest way of our existence in the Archdioceses of Kisumu,” he called.He then urged everyone to be steadfast despite the spiritual and social challenges that face them in their day to day journey with Christ. Urging them to let nothing hinder them or their desire to be one with God especially at this time when Christian faith and morals and even our very human existence is threatened from all corners, at a time when family values are ridiculed, and human life reduced to commodity and at a time when the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen due to plunder of nature. “We need to present the presence of Christ in our midst so that He may act on us and cause that inner conversion that will make us change the world around us.”
Borrowing from the words of St. Theresa, He encouraged people to make forgiveness their sacred nature asking them to forgive one another from the heart and focus on each other’s strength, talents and virtues but not their weaknesses, failure or even their sins as each and every one has something good in life. “True charity consist in bearing all our neighbours’ mistakes,” he said.
Archbishop Anyolo promised to serve the people of Kisumu with humility. “I come among you as a humble shepherd ready to lose my life for the sake of God’s own flock, prepared to tell you everything that I have learnt from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Shepherd.”
He invited the faithful to fix their eyes on Christ and not to focus on temporal goods, or on sheer human success, fickle titles and positions. He asked them not to focus on him as their Archbishop either but rather on Christ and remain with him always.
The ceremony was attended by the Bishops, the Clergy and Religious and the faithful from all over the country, including the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto, the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, various National Government officials the county governments of Bungoma and Kisumu.
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