Archbishop-Elect for the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, His Grace Martin Kivuva Musonde, on 29thJanuary 2015 met with the religious and clergy of Daystar University to encourage them on their unique Apostolate of silent witness.
The Archbishop-Elect, who was addressing the religious and clergy at the Good Samaritan Centre, told the group to “live and behave according to what your religious superiors and bishops sent you to do at Daystar University.”
Daystar University’s main campus, Athi River, falls in the ecclesiastical territory of the Catholic Diocese of Machakos. Thus, the spiritual needs of the Catholic community at the university have to be facilitated and met by the diocese.
Addressing the group which is comprised of clergy and religious men and women from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Nigeria and India, at the Good Samaritan Centre, the Archbishop-Elect said, “Every year we meet on the feast of Christ the King. But this year we have met much earlier because on 21st February 2015 I shall be installed the Archbishop of Mombasa and I did not want to leave without holding our annual get-together and sharing.”
“I encourage you to be focused on what brought you to Daystar. Make God happy and your respective superiors and bishops proud of you by excelling in your studies and being witnesses of Christ and the Church by your way of life. Be an example that can be looked upon and emulated by the Catholic laity as well as the larger Daystar community as a whole. Remember, you are the voice and face of the church at Daystar University,” he said.
The Archbishop-Elect encouraged the religious and clergy to remain united, watch over eachother and support each other in living lives worth their vocation. He asked them to be part and parcel of the Church activities in both the Catholic diocese of Machakos (Daystar’s main campus) and the Archdiocese of Nairobi (where Daystar runs a Nairobi campus)and determine where and how they can begin to put their knowledge into practice and not wait till after their graduation.
The students thanked the Archbishop-Elect for his simplicity, welcoming spirit and availability to all who needed him. They stressed that the annual religious-clergy get together with him gives them an opportunity to have their spirits-uplifted and purpose of being at the university re-affirmed.
The Archbishop – Elect, who until 9th December 2014 was the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Machakos, will be installed as the third Archbishop of Mombasa on 21stFebruary 2015 at Tononoka grounds.
By Sr. Dr. Agnes Lucy Lando SMK
