“Secularism, busyness, fragmented relationships” among Obstacles to Family as “first school of faith”: Kenyan Archbishop

He goes on to emphasize the vitally important place of the family in faith formation, saying, “The family, as the first school of Christian faith, plays an irreplaceable role in forming Disciples of Christ. By fostering love, teaching faith, and modelling virtue, families create a foundation that shapes children’s spiritual lives and contributes to the Church’s mission.”

Though challenging, the family’s “sacred responsibility” of forming disciples of Jesus Christ “is a powerful means of grace for the family and the Church,” Archbishop Anyolo says. 

In the family, he explains, “faith is lived out through acts of love, forgiveness, prayer, and service”. These daily experiences, he goes on to say, “mirror the life of the larger Church.”

Christian values such as respect for human dignity, love, forgiveness, responsibility, integrity, honesty, compassion, faith, and prayer life are “fundamental to living an authentic Christian vocation and building just family relationships,” the Local Ordinary of ADN further says.

The highlighted Christian values, which he says are part of the Catholic Social Teaching are nurtured within the family which he says is the “domestic Church”.

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“It is in the family – ‘the domestic Church’ that we experience and learn to respect the human dignity as every person, made in the image of God, deserves respect,” the Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 1996 as Bishop of Kenya’s Kericho Catholic Diocese says referring to the book of Genesis.

Making reference to the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, 24, Archbishop Anyolo calls upon parents and guardians to teach their children the value of human dignity “by fostering respect among family members and extending it to others in society.”

“The Church teaches that parents have a God-given responsibility to be the first educators of their children in faith,” he says, and emphasizes, “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children in the faith, prayer, and all the virtues.”

To help foster discipleship to Jesus Christ, the Local Ordinary of ADN since November 2021 says, “every Catholic family is called to play a vital role in forming faith, shaping character, and nurturing a relationship with God of their children and of every member.”

He challenges parents and guardians to be good role models, explaining, “children often imitate what they observe in their parents. A life of prayer, regular participation in the sacraments, and acts of charity provide a powerful witness.”

“Introducing children to personal and communal prayer fosters a direct relationship with God,” Archbishop Anyolo says, and highlights other ways of fostering Christian faith practice in families, including “living the faith together,” participating in liturgical celebrations, devotions, and Scripture reading, among others. 

He reiterates the need for parents and guardians to teach children by the example of their respective lives.

“Parents’ faith-filled lives are the most compelling testimony for their children, shaping their understanding of God and the Church,” Archbishop Anyolo says in his 16-page Pastoral Letter in which he has described the upcoming Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year as an opportunity for “renewal, mercy and solidarity” and announces that ADN has chosen “Strengthening Faith in Families through Small Christian Communities (SCCs) as Pilgrims of Hope for the Jubilee Year (Hebrews 11:1)” as the theme for the Jubilee Year 2025.

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.