“If we join hands together as bishops, priests, nuns and lay people and live our faith by spreading it like Blessed Irene, corruption will end,” the retired Prelate said, referencing the recently launched Catholic-Church-driven six-month anti-corruption campaign.
In the spirit of the just concluded Extraordinary Missionary Month (EMMOCT2019), Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri reminded Christians of the significance of their baptism and signalized Blessed Nyaatha as a good role model.
“She was born on August 22, 1898 and baptized a day later August 23, 1989 when she was just a day old,” Archbishop Muheria narrated and continued in reference to Nyaatha, “in her baptism, she got the necessary energy to continue with her life until where she is today as we celebrate her as a Blessed.”
“Her baptism just like yours and mine changed her to be a new being,” the Opus Dei Prelate said and added, “this year the Church reminds us of our baptism call, ‘Baptized and sent’ so that we reflect on what happened in our hearts upon baptism. Our equality comes from baptism.”
During the event, 99-year-old Emma Wangechi received applause from the congregation for her fluent Latin recitation of Our Lord’s prayer as well as the Queen of Heaven prayer, just as she was taught by the Italian-born Consolata nun.
“Nyaatha is the one who taught us to pray ‘Our Father’ in Latin,” Wangechi recalled and added, “she was a very good Sister who would go to parishes and gather many children. She would put them together and teach them (recites Queen of Heaven in Latin).”
In an exclusive interview with ACI Africa Friday November 1, Fr. Peter Githinji who is the Postulator of the Archdiocese of Nyeri coordinating the Sainthood cause of Blessed Nyaatha said a miracle is what stands in the way for Blessed Nyaatha to be canonized as a Saint.
“We encourage people to continue praying through her (Nyaatha) intercession so that we can have the final miracle,” Fr. Githinji told ACI Africa.
“So many graces received through her intercession have been reported,” Fr. Githinji disclosed in reference to Blessed Nyaatha and possible miracles through her intercession and added, “the Church is studying them but we are encouraging people to pray so that we can get a final genuine miracle.”
He also expressed hopes that the miracle will happen in Africa saying, “She is more known here in Africa, especially here in Kikuyu land (Nyeri) where she continued her youthfulness, so probability (of a miracle) is higher and we pray through her intercession that the miracle will happen here.”
