Catholic Nuns Recall “God’s faithfulness” as They Celebrate 25 Years of Service in Kenya

In her speech, Sr. Kayembe thanked Sr. Nzilani for availing herself to God’s service as a perpetual PS member, and added, “You commit yourself today to God to live in total surrender of your whole being to Him according to the way of life of our institute.”

“I pray God to bless you and to grant to you the graces to follow the footsteps of our St. Luigi Palazzolo,” Sr. Kayembe implored for the Kenyan-born PS member, recognizing the virtues of the founder of their Religious Order.

“Through his intercession, you may become a living witness of Christ in the midst of the poor,” Sr. Kayembe further implored during the event that the Auxiliary Bishop of Nairobi Archdiocese, Bishop David Kamau, presided over. 

In his homily, Bishop Kamau urged Sr. Nzilani to remain at God’s service. “You are called for a duty; it is not a call for good or luxurious life, but to do the will and the work of God through service,” he said.

“Vocation is a gift and the same time a call from God,” the Kenyan Bishop said, adding, “The call requires a response for a mission.”

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He further explained, “It is only when we fulfill the duty and responsibility given to us by God that we can take delight in our vocations … It is only when you are faithful to your call that you can be happy in life.”

The 68-year-old Bishop went on to appeal for prayers for those who have embraced different vocations, saying, “Religious Life is not easy; that is why I urge you faithful to pray for the Sisters and Priests because we need prayers; we need God’s grace, (and) at the same time, we also need to pray for you to live a family life which is equally not easy.”

Founded in 1869 in Bergamo, Italy, by St. Luigi Palazzolo, PS members first came to Africa in 1952 in the Democratic Republished of Congo (DRC). PS members have the charism of “serving the poorest of the poor” and the mission “to go where others have not yet reached and to do what we can”.

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