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| Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth leading hundreds of Catholics from Kisumu in the Celebrations to mark Silver Jubilee of the Archdiocese |
The Catholic Archdiocese of Kisumu on Monday 29th celebrated Silver Jubilee as an Archdiocese and 47th anniversary of Episcopate of Most Rev Zacchaeus Okoth, Archbishop of Kisumu; in a grand celebration that was attended by among other dignitaries the President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister honorable Raila Odinga.
The colorful event was celebrated at the Uzima University College Grounds in Kisumu. The Archdiocese, which has made tremendous contributions to the education, health and community development, is wrestling with various challenges ranging from dwindling vocations and poverty, which is prevalent in the region.
The Vicar General of Kisumu, Fr. Moses Omolo told AMECEA Online News that shortage of priests in the vast Archdiocese, which covers two counties namely Kisumu and Siaya, is a major stumbling block to pastoral work. “We have 47 parishes and hardly are there two priests in a Parish, which usually covers vast distances,” he said adding that “the vocation to priesthood is dwindling in the Archdiocese and they currently have at least three new parishes without permanent Parish Priests.”
The geographical distance of the Archdiocese, which is 6,419 Square Kilometers (2,479 Square Miles), also poses a major challenge to its administration. However, the Archdiocese has made some very commendable development in the education, health and community empowerment.
According to Rev. Fr. Felix Atindah, the Personal Assistant to the Archbishop, although the Archdiocese has made remarkable progress in evangelization mission, a lot more need to be done to overcome the challenges of poverty, traditional practices and others which remain to be major obstacles to pastoral activities of the diocese.
Fr. Atindah told AMECEA Online News that majority of people from the Archdiocese are very poor and also the region is known to be hardest hit by HIV and Aids which has left many orphans, a situation that is adversely affecting pastoral work.
“Traditional practices such as wife inheritance and polygamy are strongly practiced in some areas. In addition obsession with politics especially in the rural area makes it very hard for pastoral agents to preach the word of God in a balanced way,” Fr. Atindah said.
He however, said that the Archdiocese has wrestled a lot with the issue of wife inheritance and the battle is almost over. “The Archdiocese has a strong network and solidarity group of St. Monica for the widows which is doing well to empower widows economically, spiritually and psychologically and so far 65% of Catholic widows have embraced the solidarity group.”
He said that an apostolate to the family, especially in the lake region, still needs a lot of work as marriages especially among couple aged between 20 and 50 years old usually end up in separation before even celebrating fifth anniversary.
Kisumu became a Diocese in 25th March 1953 and elevated Archdiocese in 21stMay, 1990 comprising of seven suffragan Dioceses of Homa-Bay, Kisii, Eldoret, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kitale and Lodwar.
Source: Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News