Let’s Be “promoters of a Synodal Church”: Catholic Bishop in Kenya to 16 Newly Ordained Spiritan Deacons

Synodality, the Kenyan Catholic Bishop said, is not just about organizational unity; it is about “incarnating the values of Christ in service to others.”

The service to others involves getting in proximity with the people of God, Bishop Kamomoe said, and drawing inspiration from Pope Francis, emphasized the need for Catholic Church leaders to strive to “smell like the sheep”, being “incarnated” in the life situations of the people of God under their pastoral care.

Credit: Holy Ghost Fathers-Spiritans Province of Kenya

Such “incarnation” requires awareness of the power and influence of the Spirit of God and the readiness to be influenced by Him, he said.

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry on April 6 went on to caution against the reality and influence of other “spirits”, which he said are in competition with the Holy Spirit. 

Credit: Holy Ghost Fathers-Spiritans Province of Kenya

“We have the Holy Spirit; that is the Spirit of God. We have the human spirit; that of course will go with your thoughts, your desires,” Bishop Kamomoe said, adding that the human spirit has limitations in holiness and “has to be perfected by the Holy Spirit.”

He also identified the “world spirit”, which he said is “everywhere” and pervades the various sectors of society across the nations. The world spirit influences social media users to be conveyers of negativity so that “negative news becomes news, but good news is never news to them,” the Catholic Church leader lamented.

The other “spirit”, which Bishop Kamomoe described as “very dangerous” is the reality and influence of the “evil spirit”. 

Credit: Holy Ghost Fathers-Spiritans Province of Kenya

“The worst spirit is the evil spirit,” he warned, and emphasizing the need for clarity about which of the four “spirits” has to be nurtured, and which have to be relegated to the periphery, added, “I’d like to encourage these young men (Deacons-elect) to be very clear in your mind (as to) which spirit is driving you.”

Reflecting on the First Reading of the Ordination Mass, which recounted the call of Samuel, Bishop Kamomoe highlighted discernment as important in the journey of formation towards the Priesthood. 

“It was not clear who was calling him (Samuel), and so he was discerning, just like you have had time in your formation to continue to discern … Today, you are responding to the right voice; you are responding to God,” he said.

Credit: Holy Ghost Fathers-Spiritans Province of Kenya

In his October 11 Ordination homily, the Kenyan Catholic Bishop emphasized the need for members of the Clergy to promote their identity, including the “clerical dress code” that the Laity recognize with appreciation. 

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“Even the way you dress, even the way you eat, you don't just eat the way you want; you eat the way Christ wants,” he said, recalling the orientation sessions of newly Consecrated Bishops he was part of at the Vatican weeks ago.  

To underscore the substantial identity, he said, “The identity of a Deacon, the identity of a Priest, emanates or is rooted in the identity of Christ himself. The victory of a Priest, the victory of a Bishop, is the victory of Christ himself.”

Credit: Holy Ghost Fathers-Spiritans Province of Kenya

He reiterated the need for the newly ordained Deacons to strive for holiness in their Congregation, saying, “You are becoming a holy Spiritan, not just a Spiritan; let it be very clear.”

Also speaking during the October 11 Ordination of 16 Spiritan Deacons, the Provincial Superior of the Spiritans in Kenya and South Sudan thanked those, who have supported the newly Ordained Deacons in their Religious and Priestly formation over the years.  

“When we get a number of Deacons, Priests, and Religious, we never forget to thank our benefactors. The first benefactors have been the parents of our Deacons, and the family. They’ve done a lot to make these young people be where they are,” Fr. Frederick Wafula Elima said.

Fr. Wafula thanked those, who have offered financial contributions towards the Seminary formation of the newly Ordained Spiritan Deacons. He said that while it “takes prayers” to become a Deacon, “it also takes money.”

The Nairobi-based Spiritan Provincial Superior called upon the newly Ordained Deacons to remain faithful to their Religious and Clerical calling, and to live the call with dedication.

“Don’t let us down. These people have given enough. The congregation has given enough. The church has given enough for you. Don’t let us down,” Fr. Wafula told the 16 Spiritan Deacons. 

Credit: Holy Ghost Fathers-Spiritans Province of Kenya

On his part, the Rector of the Spiritan Theologate in Nairobi reminded the newly Ordained Deacons of the need for them to believe in the grace of God in their Religious life and ministry as Clergy. 

“In a world where the ‘I’ has become so important, what you are doing may seem insane, even untenable. Yet what enables you to offer yourself for the service of the gospel of God is grace and faith,” Fr. Kennedy Marcel Dong said. 

Fr. Dong added, “You are Deacons not only in the towns and in the cities but also in the remotest parishes, where the faithful are also found. Be faithful Deacons, who are ready to exercise your ministry where you are sent and not where you want.”

The Ghanaian-born Spiritan Priest encouraged the Deacons to remain focused on their journey to the Priesthood and subsequent years of Religious Life and Priestly ministry, saying, “The journey has been long; it’s not yet finished. May God’s grace accompany you to the end.”

Meanwhile, in his address at the conclusion of the Ordination event, Bishop Kamomoe called upon the newly Ordained Deacons to keep a “very close” relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary, seeking her intercession.

“Be very close to Mother Mary. When I became a Bishop, I was told that before God makes you a good Priest or a good Bishop, He throws you to Mother Mary to prepare you,” the Auxiliary Bishop of ADN said.

Mary, the Mother of the Apostles, should be a central figure in the spiritual lives of the new Deacons, Bishop Kamomoe said, and reiterated in emphasis, “Don’t forget to be very close to Mother Mary”.