By Rose Achiego
Priests from the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret have expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for appointing Rt. Rev. Dominic Kimengich as their new shepherd.
In an exclusive interview, Rev. Fr. William Kosgey who served as Vicar General of the Diocese from the times of the late Rt. Rev. Cornelius Korir until now termed Bishop Kimengich’s appointment as a pleasant surprise and prayed that the new shepherd will foster peace in the region and develop the Diocese to greater heights.
At the same time, the Diocesan Communications Coordinator Rev. Fr Fred Njoroge, expressed hope that Bishop Kimengich will build on what the Late Bishop Korir left, considering that the two bishops worked closely together on peace building in the Diocese of Lodwar and the neighbouring countries of Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan.
“Bishop Korir was a Father to Bishop Kimengich and we hope he is going to follow in his footsteps as he has expressed in many interviews. He knows that peace is a vital issue in the North Rift and he also engaged Bishop Korir in peace building initiatives in his Diocese of Lodwar and even the neighbouring countries,” said Fr. Njoroge.
Meanwhile, the Eldoret Pastoral Coordinator, Rev. Fr. Sospeter Kangongo, said Bishop Kimengich is a blessing and a gift from Pope Francis. He said that they are prepared for the new Bishop’s installation slated for February 1, 2020 adding that they are enthusiastically waiting to welcome him to the Diocese.
“We were very happy that our prayers were answered,” said Fr. Kangongo. “People are very ready and eagerly waiting for the installation ceremony. Expectations are very high as we are looking forward to work with the Bishop.”
The priests of the Diocese of Eldoret also paid tribute to the Bishop of Kitale Rt. Rev. Maurice Crowley who is currently the Apostolic Administrator of Eldoret, for his commitment, dedication and generosity while serving in the Diocese. They said Bishop Crowley has a good understanding of the people of Eldoret and has been working well with the priests, and that he has prepared them well for a smooth transition of leadership.
The Diocese of Eldoret fell vacant on 30th, October 2017, following the passing on of Bishop Cornelius Korir. Consequently, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Maurice Crowley as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.
The Diocese of Eldoret hosts AMECEA Pastoral Institute (APA) also known as Gaba Institute, which offers a unique opportunity for pastoral agents to renew themselves for the mission. This allowed the establishment of CUEA’s Gaba Campus, both of which are institutions of AMECEA as a regional association of Catholic bishops.