The 66-year-old Kenyan Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 1996 as the Local Ordinary of Kenya’s Kericho Diocese also urged young people to emulate Saints.
Archbishop Anyolo greeting youth leaders from different deaneries in Nairobi Archdiocese. Credit: ACI Africa
“In the Catholic Church we have many Saints who have lived this life when God made friendship with them and they discovered how to live this friendship with Him,” he said, and added, “Saints teach us a lot of life virtues. Your names are denotations of Saints.”
“We ask God to give us people in our present life who from among us we can learn to live the way God wants us to live,” he said.
He added, “If we don’t choose good principles of life, if we don’t stand for anything that makes us good young people in society, you can fall for anything that comes your way,” Archbishop Anyolo said during the November 19 Holy Mass.
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Credit: ACI Africa
When God loves humanity, he said, “He gives it youthfulness like He gave Jesus Christ, and the way humanity gives thanks to God is to take care of our fellow brothers and sisters.”
“You have the Church and professionals at your disposal to guide you in a lovely manner, listen to them, follow their example and make a difference,” he said, adding, “As young people, God wants you to use your energy in serving Him the best way.”
Making reference to the beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Maria Carola Cecchin, Archbishop Anyolo said, “Recently we went to Meru to pray that a young person who was almost your age, who lived a certain life that God was pleased with is in the process of canonization.”
Credit: ACI Africa
“In the Church in Kenya, and in the Archdiocese of Nairobi we want to see such examples,” he added.
He urged young people to “strive to find an example of life amongst ourselves which we can emulate as we live as young Christians of God.”
“May God bless you in all your endeavors so that you may be his beloved sons and daughters,” Archbishop Anyolo implored during the November 19 Holy Mass attended by young people from all 14 Deaneries of Nairobi Archdiocese.
Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.