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Nairobi Archdiocesan Education Day: Catholic Bishop Highlights Role of Teachers, Parents, Guardians as “co-evangelizers”

Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe during the ADN Education Day. Credit: ADN

Teachers, parents, and guardians have an important role to play in the faith formation of children under their care, Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe, one of the three Auxiliary Bishops of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN) in Kenya has said.

In his homily during the 27th Annual Catholic Education Day for ADN that was organized under the theme, “Catholic Education for new evangelization for Active Participation in Christian Life”, Bishop Kamomoe called upon those with responsibility over learners to support the Church in her mission of evangelization. 

“As we continue to guide them as teachers, and parents,” he said referring to learners, “let us remember that we are co-evangelizes; we are collaborators.”

“You have been called to be teachers, but you are collaborating with the Priests, with the Archdiocese, with the entire Church in shaping the lives of the learners,” the Kenyan Catholic Bishop said during the July 6 event held at St. Augustine Ngenia High School.

Alluding to the call of the 12 Apostles, Bishop Kamomoe said that in the same way Jesus called the Apostles to join in His mission, teachers, parents, and guardians are expected to join the Church in carrying out Christ’s mission of evangelization.

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“Let us pray that the teachers will help us in shaping the learners because when these children see you by the virtue of being a Christian, you strengthen and reinforce their faith in God,” he said, and added, “As a teacher, if you have little faith then you can’t give what you don’t have.”

Bishop Simon Peter Kamomoe during the ADN Education Day. Credit: ADN

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April called upon learners to nurture their faith and cautioned teachers, parents and guardians against interfering with the learners’ relationship with God.

He went on to highlight the importance of education in the life of learners, saying it “should be about improving your personal system and not for greener pastures as many people say; it is for the quality of your life; it is after this that you will be motivated by Christian love to improve the quality of other people’s lives.”

“As young people, the first thing to think about is not even the career; don’t think about money, but think about the quality of your life,” Bishop Kamomoe said.

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Education is also essential in fostering human dignity, he told the learners, and added, “The knowledge that you are acquiring is supposed to help you to improve your dignity, your self-esteem, your worthiness.”

Bishop Kamomoe continued, “Education is there to help you change your mentality, to change your attitude and also to change the way you interpret life, for example, the dressing code which should represent our dignity.”

Students drawn from Catholic Schools within Kenya's Nairobi Archdiocese during the Education Day 2024. Credit: ADN

Formal education, he further said, “should help us to improve the way we view the world.”

The Kenyan Catholic Church leader invited the people of God to pray that formal education be “animated and informed by our Christian teachings and faith” and that learners are helped to grow into objective citizens, who will not be victims of “misinterpretations”.

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“Let the education we are acquiring animated by our faith help us so that we can develop to become very humble teachers, parents, Priests because when we are humble, we will be able to embrace the will of God and also accept corrections,” Bishop Kamomoe said during the July 6 celebration of the annual Catholic education day in the ADN. 

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.