Blessing of the Church of Nariokotome Anam and the Dispensary of Nariokotome

​Yesterday, July 28th, we received many blessings in the mission of Nariokotome, the mother house of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle and Mother Mary of the Church.

The first blessing came the day before as it rained abundantly throughout the whole area.

On Friday, the celebrations began in the morning at Nariokotome Anam, where Bishop Dominic Kimengich blessed the new Church of St. Peter the Fisherman. In his homily, the Bishop exhorted the parishioners, mostly fishermen in Lake Turkana, to always pass by through this beautiful church to pray before going fishing, so that God could bless their fishing. Bishop Dominic also told everyone to stay peaceful during the next general elections in Kenya on 8th of August.

Next, the Bishop blessed the new Via Crucis and Centre for the Youth, built with the beautiful and sustainable technique called Super Adobe.

In the afternoon we celebrated the blessing of the new Nariokotome dispensary, which continues to provide health care for hundreds of people throughout a vast area of ​​coverage. This new structure, built thanks to friends and benefactors from Germany, Italy and Spain, will greatly improve medical care throughout the area.

Both blessings of the Church and the dispensary are part and parcel of the work that the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle carries out in Turkana and wherever we are present. This work is also the work of the Catholic Church, to work for the Kingdom of God, especially in the most remote areas and with the most vulnerable people.

Fr. Angel Valdivia López

In 2013, the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) in Manila, through our missionary animation work in the Philippines, first encountered the Missionary Sisters of the Lord’s Table of San Jose Antique in the Visayas (Central Philippines) and encouraged them in their missionary vocation to explore the possibility of coming to work and live in Turkana. 
Finally, on Monday, July 24, the Diocese of Lodwar welcomed three of these sisters (who are also called the Mensa Domini Sisters) from Antique at a special mass at Kaaleng chapel in the vast parish of St James, Kaikor. After the welcome mass, presided by Bishop Dominic Kimengich, with the local community, we all proceeded to the newly refurbished house of the sisters for the blessing and housewarming! It is a simple house atop a hill and possesses a magnificent view of the area. Sr Joy Pon-An,  a high school teacher and who heads the new community in Lodwar Diocese, says, “We are at home!”

On the same note, the people of Kaaleng were also reminded by Bishop Dominic that the two fide donum priests from the Diocese of Antique, Frs. Frederick and Melchor, are now half a year working and settling down in the parish at Kaikor. This is another “missionary gift” from the Philippines to the Diocese of Lodwar.

May the Good Shepherd bless these missionary enterprises so that they may bear much evangelical fruit not only for the people of Kaikor but also for the local church in Antique in the Visayas!

By Fr. Francis Teo