WORLD AIDS DAY 2015
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| Susan at Bamba clinic for World AIDS Day 2015 |
Papa Fransiska, as the Pope
is affectionately known here, has just completed his visit to Kenya. He declined a state dinner with the
authorities but made sure that he met with the residents of one of the biggest
informal settlements (slums) in the capital city. He met with leaders of different faith
communities including Muslims, Hindus, and Protestant Christians. He challenged religious leaders by telling
them ‘if they came to religious life through the window instead of the front
door then they should exit and go get married.’ The last day, youth filled the national
stadium and a young man and woman identified corruption and tribalism as their
biggest problems. He replied to the
former by saying, “It’s sweet like sugar.
We like it and then we end up in a poor way. So much sugar we become diabetic. When we put a bribe in our pocket we destroy
ourselves. Don’t develop a taste for the
sugar called corruption.” Regarding
tribalism he said, “If you don’t discuss with each other you’re going to have
divisions like dust, like the worms. Then he asked them to stand and hold each
other’s hands. “Fighting tribalism isn’t just raising our hands. We must carry out work against this. Your ears are to listen as you open your
hearts.”
According to him, the worst sin of all is
indifference and God will vomit out
the lukewarm (Revelations). “Start now
yourself because if you don’t start the next person won’t start.”
It has been a good year for us in the
Archdiocese. We received a new
Archbishop on February 21st, Martin Kivuva, a priest from this Diocese. I have continued my schedule of visiting
various clinics and giving medical education presentations to update the
staff. I have more requests than I am
able to manage and the traffic jams have become horrendous. One day I waited five hours to cross the
ferry after doing a clinic that should only be 30 minutes from where I
live. In the coming year I will need to
rearrange the schedule and hire a driver to continue with these supervisory
visits.
From July to September I was back in the
US for my long leave before beginning another three year contract. In August I gave the keynote address at the
celebration of 40 years of Maryknoll Lay Missioners in New York. It was a wonderful celebration and I met many
people that I hadn’t seen for years given our dispersal throughout the world
for ministries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. President Obama visited Kenya
in July and many young people were encouraged by his advice
and enthusiasm that we each be the change we want to see.
Kenya has welcomed two famous people this
year. The question is whether their
visits will make any difference in the lives of the needy. In a few weeks’ time we will welcome the
newborn Christ child into our hearts once again. Will we remain lukewarm and indifferent or
will we use our ears and listen as we open our hearts? There are many babies crying in this world
and answering their cries will bring a calmer world and maybe even true peace
and joy for ourselves.
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| Coralis, Judy, Susan and Teresa |
From our home to yours
Heri ya Krismasi
na Mwaka Mpya
Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!!!
