Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Retired Bishop Silas Silvius Njiru who served in Kenya’s Meru Diocese succumbed to death in Italy, Tuesday, April 28 where he had been receiving intensive care.
Announcing the death of Bishop Emeritus in a statement, Fr Pedro Jose da Silva Luoro, the Secretary-General of Consolata Missionaries wrote, “You are informed that our Bishop Emeritus Silas Njiru who was infected by Coronavirus passed away this morning (Tuesday, April 28), please celebrate Mass for him.”
“Bishop Silas Njiru was residing at the Blessed Joseph Allamano house in Alpignano, Turin Italy. On 25 April 2020, he was taken to Rivoli Hospital due to COVID-19 infection,” Fr. Luoro stated. It is while in this hospital under medication that three days later he died.
The late Prelate was the first African Bishop of Kenya’s Meru Diocese. He was born in Embu in October 1928 and served Meru Diocese as the Local Ordinary from December 1976 to March 2004.
According to his successor Bishop Salesius Mugambi, “Upon retirement, Bishop Silas entered monastic life where he joined other men who are praying for the Church, praying for humanity that the Lord should be known and served.”
Eulogizing his predecessor, Bishop Mugambi said that the late Bishop loved development. And because of that, “He expanded the office of the Bishop and that of the Financial Administrator; he started the development office; water project; and constructed private schools which include primary, secondary and polytechnics, all run by the Church.”
“He invited the Religious Congregations into the Diocese to run the schools and to help the poor,” Bishop Mugambi added.
The late Bishop Emeritus Silus Njiru was buried at the cemetery of the Consolata Missionaries in the Archdiocese of Torino on Wednesday April 29, 2020.
According to other reports, a requiem Mass was conducted in Meru on the same day, presided over by Bishop Salesius Mugambi where he announced that a portrait of the late Prelate will be hung in the crypt of Meru Catholic Cathedral where Bishop Njiru would have been buried.