Kenya: university celebrates opening of new chapel

The Catholic students and the entire community of Daystar University had their church officially opened on Saturday October 25, 2003 during a colourful Mass presided over by Bishop Martin Kivuva of Machakos. And it was double joy for the students when Bishop Kivuva assigned them a chaplain and three other assisting priests to take care of their spiritual needs. "I want to make sure that the Diocese is not responsible for the lack of faith in the institution," said the Bishop. He likened the chapel, named Mary Mount Chapel, to an oasis in the desert where those who thirst for the word of God would always run for comfort. "This chapel will be a solace to the local community and students," he added. Describing it as a church of the people by the people, the Bishop echoed the words of Pope John Paul II when he visited Uganda in 1963. "He asked us to be good missionaries unto ourselves and make sure the Gospel is taken even to the darkest corners," the Bishop said. The cross at the church's Adoration chapel is the one that was erected at Uhuru Park Nairobi during a Eucharistic celebration led by Pope John Paul II in September 1995, when he launched 'Ecclesia in Africa,, the document on the 1994 Synod for Africa. Mary Mount Chapel, which is situated 300m from the University Campus, started as a small iron sheet structure, but after several fundraising functions the community managed to build a decent chapel on the land donated by Mama Mary Mulandi, a neighbour and a Catholic. It came into existence after the students of Daystar University had suffered several years of trekking six kilometres from the university to the main road to board a vehicle to the nearest Catholic church, twenty kilometres away. Elijah Muturu, the chairperson of the Catholic students at the university said that the students would now have good spiritual nourishment. David Orondo, a member of the Catholic faithful and a part-time lecturer at the institution, said that the Mary Mount would now help those Catholics who have never stood for their faith. Source: CISA