Kenya’s President Uhuru: Beatification an opportunity for renewal

The beatification of Sister Irene at Kenya’s Dedan Kimathi University grounds in Nyeri was a grace-filled event.  Sister Stefani, an Italian Consolata missionary arrived in Gikondi, Nyeri in 1915.  She administered to the sick and dying and paid great attention to the poor.

Speaking at the beatification ceremony, Kenya’s Cardinal John Njue described Blessed Irene Stefani as a person who was always available to serve the Lord through assisting terminally ill patients. 

Cardinal Njue challenged members of the Church to strive for positive contributions to society.  He described Blessed Irene Stefani as an example of a dedicated Christian who loved the suffering until her last breath. 

Also present at the memorable event was Kenya’s republican president, Uhuru Kenyatta. He described the beatification as an opportunity to “renew that spirit of love, compassion, humility, and self-giving for God and humanity.” 

President Uhuru further called for religious tolerance.

Kenya has experienced religious intolerance and violent extremism in the past. The Islamic intolerance  is often targeted at Christians as happened on the eve of Easter, this year, when 142 young students and 6 security personnel were killed at Garissa University College. The perpetrators of the massacre were a Somali Islamic terrorist group, Al Shabaab.

Blessed Irene Stefani is seen as a model of reaching out to everyone regardless of race, religion or social status.

If all goes well, the Catholic Church in Kenya will witness yet another beatification. The process to have  former Nairobi Archbishop, Maurice Cardinal Otunga beatified is still going on. Cardinal Otunga died in 2003.

(By Sr. Scholastica Kaliki, OSB and Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla in Kenya, CANAA)

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