Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
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| From Left; Superior General FSSA and Archbishop of Nairobi Archdiocese |
Speaking to the congregation Wednesday, December 8, at St. Peter Claver Parish, Kisumu Archdiocese, the recently installed Archbishop Philip Arnold Anyolo said, “In our work of service as religious, we do not witness to Christ alone but we work together with all those ordained and consecrated to serve the Lord.”
“I encourage you to find it in your heart that you can work together witnessing to Jesus Christ through your Charism knowing that alone, you cannot manage,” Archbishop Anyolo emphasized to the Sisters the aspect of journeying together adding that “we are not living as foreigners to one another but rather s people called to walk on the same path.”
During the celebration that brought together Christians, clergy, religious and people of good will from various parishes within the country, the former Archbishop of Kisumu Metropolitan asked the sisters who celebrated their perpetual profession, Silver and Golden jubilees to continue being Christ’s witnesses in all they do as they serve the Lord in gladness.
The Superior General of FSSA congregation Sr. Mary Benigna Aoko, reiterated the Prelates’ message encouraging the sisters to be “true witnesses” in their way of living.
Addressing the five perpetually professed sisters the superior said, “The step you have taken today by accepting to walk with the Lord, is the beginning of the journey and remember that the discernment of a vocation is the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciple. Therefore remain his true witnesses.”
On his part, Fr. Joseph Oguok while giving homily to the congregation during the event celebrated on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception disclosed that as God gave Mother Mary the graces to courageously take the responsibility of being the mother of Christ, the same God “can never give us responsibility without giving us the necessary graces to fulfill the mission.”
The Kenyan cleric and a member of the Consolata Missionaries (IMC) congregation emphasized that the greatest enemy of the vow of obedience is fear of the unknown. Hence amidst doubt, “let us emulate Mother Mary who obeyed and trusted in God’s providence.”
Fr. Oguok who is the Vicar of the Religious in the Archdiocese of Kisumu reminded the celebrants to embrace religious life with simplicity and humility noting that, “if we are complicated, we do not interpret issues with spiritual perspective hence religious life will complicate us and if we are simple the religious will be simple for us.”
He referenced Pope Francis message while addressing the jubilarians asking them to “look at the past with gratitude, live the present with joy and look to the future with confidence,” so as to remain a testimony to their followers.