Be Nuns “modeled after the heart of Christ”: Kenyan Bishop at Profession

Bishop Obanyi emphasized to those who undertook their final vows the importance of deepening their love for the Congregation. He urged them to wholeheartedly commit to their religious community, urging them to cast aside any doubts and to fully immerse themselves in their chosen path.

The Catholic Bishop encouraged them to foster mutual support within the group, emphasizing the importance of cherishing one another as fellow members of the same congregation. He stressed the need for unity, reminding them that they share a common goal.

“Cherish one another, don’t make your colleagues feel like strangers in communities where they go,” said the Bishop who has been at the helm of Kakamega Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination in March 2015.

Bishop Obanyi also encouraged the newly professed nuns to take their vows seriously, saying, “All the three vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity are equal and important.”

He added, “These vows are the guidelines that are going to help you to be closer to Jesus Christ. Be faithful to them; cherish them; love them and you will be happy.”

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“Your vows help you to discern the will of God, and that will be your work; what does it mean to be poor, what are the implications of being poor, and what are the practical aspects of being poor,” he explained.

The 55-year-old Kenyan Bishop told the sisters that living within their vows would draw them closer  to Christ and enrich them spiritually.

“Chastity involves developing purity of the heart so that you can serve people with love,” Bishop Obanyi said and added, “Obedience on the other hand involves obeying God’s will through your superiors.”

He emphasized the need to be obedient towards superiors who he said are mandated to lead according to the will of God.

“Any guideline or instruction given by superiors is presumed to be the will of God. We don’t have levels of obedience, there is no negotiation in obedience,” the Local Ordinary of Kakamega Diocese said.