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Kenya’s Nairobi Archdiocese Organizes Memorial Mass for Assassinated American Missionary

Fr. John Anthony Kaiser

By Magdalene Kahiu

Nairobi, 21 August, 2019 / 2:49 am (ACI Africa).

The Archdiocese of Nairobi in Kenya has organized a memorial Mass for the late Mill Hill Missionary from America, Fr. John Anthony Kaiser who was assassinated near his place of ministry in Western Kenya on August 23, 2000.

Fr. Kaiser was vocal about injustices and also fought for rights of the marginalized people.

The organizer of the memorial Mass, Simon Muiruri told ACI Africa Tuesday that the event “not only remembers Fr. Kaiser, but also other people who have died for the cause of justice.”

“He was passionate about the poor and marginalized, he fought for them,” the Director of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Franciscans Africa (JPICFA), Sr. Mary Frances shared with ACI Africa regarding Fr. Kaiser.

“Fr. worked to protect human life and its dignity,” Sr. Mary Frances said.

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The annual event will be held at St. Mary’s Mukuru, a slum parish in the East of Nairobi under the theme: In Recognition and Promotion of the Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life.

The Parish Priest, Fr. John Munjuri told ACI Africa that the celebration will have a special meaning for them as it will be an opportunity for people to see the “resilience” of the people of Mukuru.

He also hopes that through the hosting of this memorial, the voices of slum dwellers will be “highlighted” and “heard”.

Fr. Kaiser’s lifeless body was found lying next to a shotgun with a wound on the back of his head on the morning of August 24, 2000 along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway in Kenya.

His death was probed by the Kenyan government and FBI and concluded that the priest committed suicide. However, in 2007 after calls by the Kenya Episcopal Conference to look into his death, a Nakuru court declared that he was murdered.

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“If I die, let it be but let people be given their rights,” Fr. Kaiser was often quoted as saying.

Magdalene Kahiu

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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