18 Newly Ordained Deacons in Kenya Urged to Foster Synod on Synodality Theme

He went on to reflect on participation, another aspect of the theme of the ongoing Synod on Synodality, which Pope Francis extended to 2024, with the first phase, 4-29 October 2023, having concluded with a 42-page summary report.

“To be a Deacon is not to bring a decoration, but to do something, to participate in the mission, in the church and that is why this participation requires an active attitude, a creative attitude, so that we don't wait to be told, but we invent with a creative fidelity, new ways of announcing the gospel,” Bishop Rodrigo said.

The Nairobi-based Catholic Church leader continued, “Today, our world offers to us not only a great technological scope of possibilities for spreading the message of the gospel, but also the simple day by day conversation, to spread the gospel through chatting, person to person.” 

The message of the Gospel can also be spread, the Jesuit Bishop said, “by spiritual conversation, a feature that Ignatius of Loyola, our founder, cherished so much to foster spiritual conversation in order to awaken the people of God and to tell them that in the church there should not be a jobless Christian.”

Reflecting on the aspect of mission, Bishop Rodrigo said, “We have to distinguish between the mission and the ministries. The ministries are ways of performing the mission. The mission is the same for all; it's a mission at the service of the kingdom of God.”

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“We are announcing the kingdom of God, but that can be done in many different ways; many different gifts, but all for the common good,” he further said, adding, “That is the mission of the church in general as an evangelizer on which they will participate not only immediately after the ordination as Deacon, but even later on as real servants and Priests, pastors of the flock of God.

“Whatever they are learning now, they are doing theology, finishing the studies of theology, enabling them to announce the word of God in a competent way,” he said about the 18 Jesuits he ordained Deacons on February 10.

“These studies are not enterprises because of academic ambition or academic honor,” he warned and urged the Deacons-elect to “avoid this attitude that an academic title puts us far from people, far from ministry, far for daily life of the church.”

“We are for service at the same mission of the church,” Bishop Rodrigo emphasized.

Referring to the 18 Deacons-elect, he said, “Let us pray that they may remember all their life that the diaconate makes them servants of all, servants of the church; that they may have this humility of Christ, this attitude of service to all all their lives.”