Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
 |
| His Eminence John Cardinal Njue during installation Sunday, March 1, Bakanja |
“You have not arrived yet; rather you are on the move,” Cardinal Njue of Kenya’s Nairobi Archdiocese told the seminarians and a congregation of nuns and lay faithful who attended the celebration on Sunday, March 1, during the sermon.
“There is a destination where you are supposed to arrive but then there are steps that need to be taken,” the prelate said and continued, “Let this time be a moment to be grateful to God for the journey so far made. By reaching this far, remember you have not arrived yet and be ready and open to move until that time comes when you will thank God for all the steps you have made in life.”
Reminding the seminarians of their union with Christ in their call the Cardinal who is one of the AMECEA patrons said, “Remain united with the Lord in prayer when things are easy or difficult. Stay close to the Lord through His works and Sacraments, knowing that you will not be a looser in the end.”
He then appealed to the faithful gathered, “Let it be for us Christians a time to pray for these young men that the Lord may truly walk with them till they reach their destinations.”
On his part, the rector of BBAC Fr. Peter Moudie in an interview encouraged the seminarians in their new ministries saying, “I encourage them to continue discovering the will of God. This is a step in life. They need to continue working hard because they still have a long way to go.”
He appreciated the growth that has taken place in the 22-year old seminary since he reported as rector in 2018 and acknowledged the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) who established the institute for paying heed to their needs.
“The number of seminarians has been growing. In 2018 we had a total of 33 students, in 2019 the number increased to 36 where only one was installed into the ministry of acolyte and eight as lectors,” the South- Sudan- born cleric narrated adding, “This year we have 48 students, four of whom are deacons; out of these, 10 have been installed as acolytes and 18 as lectors.”
Encouraging his colleagues for the step made, seminarian Moses Tameregu Peter from South Sudan’s Tombura Yambio Diocese said, “Let us take our duties seriously, proclaim the word of God in a way that the Christians can listen and understand the Word correctly.”
He appreciated the fact that Tombura Yambio Diocese has the highest number of students at BBAC and admitted the need of having more priests to serve in the Diocese.
“Am very grateful that despite the wars and challenges we have in South Sudan, our great number here in the seminary is a sign that there are vocations and life in the country,” the newly installed lector narrated.
“We are nine seminarians here from Tombura Yambio Diocese. There is great need to have more priests for our diocese since it is big and contains almost four States.” Besides, “the Diocese is also promoting vocation to the priesthood and this is increasing the number of entry into various seminaries.”
Echoing Moses’ sentiments, the rector who hails from the same Diocese said, “Almost 70% of the population in Tombura Yambio are Catholics and this helps in increasing vocations as many young people get encouraged from the Christians. Seminarians from the Diocese who are in different major seminaries could total to about 50.”
Another seminarian Nathan Mali Mulinge from Kenya’s Nairobi Archdiocese applauded his colleagues for their determination and urged them, “Let us be ready to serve remembering we have been called to serve. Let us accept this service with humility because we don’t deserve; it is the grace of God.”
He explained how most dioceses identify students to join BBAC amidst other available seminaries saying, “Bishops at times consider the academic credentials of students to join Bakanja. This is because the seminarians study at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and their qualifications must match with the standard.”
The newly installed acolyte further appreciated the donor partners of AMECEA Secretariat for the grant they received to purchase solar water pump.
The international seminary that was originally a formation house for students within the AMECEA region, has now received students from other regions such as South Africa, Congo, Rwanda and Djibouti.
The rector encourages all “Bishops of AMECEA and beyond to take opportunity of the diverseness of Bakanja and send seminarians to experience the type of formation which is also attached to the CUEA.”